Biden trip ends with promise of humanitarian aid to Gaza, backs Israel over hospital blast
President Biden took a day trip to Israel in efforts to keep the country’s war against Hamas from escalating into a wider conflict in the Middle East and to urge humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire. Biden’s visit on Wednesday came after hundreds of people were killed in an explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital the day before.
Coverage for this event has ended.
Suspected North Korean-made F-7 rocket-propelled grenades, many with a distinctive red stripe on their warhead, are seen at an Israeli military base in southern Israel, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. Hamas fighters likely used North Korean-manufactured rocket-propelled grenades during their unprecedented assault on Israel that killed over 1,400 people and saw scores taken hostage. (AP Photo/ Alon Bernstein)
Iran-backed terror group Hamas likely used North Korean weapons during its attack on Israel on Oct. 7, analysis and various evidence, including a militant video and weapons seized by Israel, now show, according to the Associated Press.
A video of Hamas terrorists using a F-7 rocket-propelled grenade, allegedly made by North Korea, is at the center of the controversy after the country denied selling arms to the terrorist group. The shoulder-fired weapon fires a single warhead and can be quickly reloaded, making them ideal for attacks against armored vehicles.
The video of the men with the North Korean-made weapon was confirmed through analysis by two experts on North Korean arms and South Korean military intelligence, according to the AP, who also conducted an analysis of weapons captured on the battlefield.
"It is not a surprise to see North Korean weapons with Hamas," said Matt Schroeder, a senior researcher with Small Arms Survey who wrote a guide to Pyongyang’s light weapons.
In addition to the F-7 rocket launcher, Hamas propaganda videos and photos have included North Korea's Bulsae guided anti-tank missile. Hamas also used North Korea's Type 58 self-loading rifle, a variant of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, according to N.R. Jenzen-Jones, a weapons expert who works as the director of the consultancy Armament Research Services.
Jenzen-Jones cited imagery of the weapons wielded by Hamas terrorists.
"North Korea has long supported Palestinian militant groups, and North Korean arms have previously been documented amongst interdicted supplies," Jenzen-Jones told The AP.
State-affiliated outlet Korean Central News Agency published a full-throated repudiation of military experts claiming there is evidence North Korean weapons are being used by Hamas.
"The U.S. administration's reptile press bodies and quasi-experts are spreading a groundless and false rumor that 'North Korea's weapons' seemed to be used for the attack on Israel," wrote North Korean international affairs commentator Ri Kwang-song.
"It is nothing but a bid to shift the blame for the Middle East crisis caused by its wrong hegemonic policy onto a third country and thus evade the international criticism focused on the empire of evil."
The Associated Press and Fox News Digital's Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) heads to the Senate Chamber for a vote at the U.S. Capitol on May 10, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., issued strong statements in support of Israel on Wednesday in which he struck down calls for a ceasefire and questioned those who blamed the deadly hospital blast in Gaza on Israel.
Fetterman, who immediately condemned Hamas' terror attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday afternoon that it's "truly disturbing" members of Congress were quick to take the word of Hamas, who blamed the death of hundreds at a Gaza hospital on an Israeli airstrike, over "our key ally."
"Who would take the word of a group that just massacred innocent Israeli civilians over our key ally?" the Pennsylvania senator asked on X.
He continued: "I will always stand with Israel and look forward to supporting any military, intelligence, or humanitarian aid to get the job done."
A few hours later, Fetterman continued to address the Israel-Hamas war by saying Hamas' attacks are the reason why thousands of innocent Israelis and Palestinians are dead and "now is not the time to talk about a ceasefire."
In a thread on X, the congressman wrote:
"Innocent Israelis were the victims of a terrorist attack that resulted in the largest loss of Jewish lives since the Holocaust. Now we know that the tragedy at the Gaza hospital was not caused by Israel.
"I grieve for every innocent person and brave Israeli soldier killed since Hamas started this war. If not for the horrific attacks by Hamas terrorists, thousands of innocent Israelis and Palestinians would still be alive today.
"Now is not the time to talk about a ceasefire. We must support Israel in efforts to eliminate the Hamas terrorists who slaughtered innocent men, women, and children. Hamas does not want peace, they want to destroy Israel. We can talk about a ceasefire after Hamas is neutralized.
"In the meantime, I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to quickly deliver the aid our ally Israel needs. This includes confirming ambassador-nominee Jack Lew as soon as possible."
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General Ronen Levi met with Deputy Presidential Special Envoy for US Hostage Affairs Steve Gillen to discuss citizens held captive by terrorist group Hamas.
Ronen Levi, director general of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared a photo on X, formerly Twitter, Thursday morning with Deputy Presidential Special Envoy for US Hostage Affairs Steve Gillen a few days after the two met to discuss those taken hostage by terrorist group Hamas following its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
As of Thursday morning, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson confirmed to Fox News that 203 people have been kidnapped by Hamas.
Acknowledging the strong relationship between the two countries, Levi said he appreciates the "unwavering support" shown by the US to Israel during "this important time."
"The strong collaboration between our nations (Israeli flag, US flag) underscores our unwavering dedication to ensuring the safe return of our citizens held by terrorist organization Hamas. Earlier this week, I had a significant discussion with Steven Gillen, Deputy Presidential Special Envoy for US Hostage Affairs. I extend my appreciation to Deputy Envoy Gillen and the entire United States Government for their unwavering support at this important time," Levi wrote on X.
Levi met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday following a string of meetings in the Middle East for the U.S. official. Gillen accompanied Blinken on his trip to the region, which began Oct. 12 in Israel.
Israel Defense Forces veteran Aaron Cohen and Israeli diplomat Israel Bachar joined Trace Gallagher on 'FOX News @ Night' Wednesday evening to discuss strategies the IDF may use when going into Gaza.
When talking about the well-known tunnels Hamas uses to help facilitate their terror attacks, Gallagher asked Cohen if the IDF is facing a tougher fight because of the tunnels and if there are concerns over the casualty count going up once Israeli forces begin a ground incursion.
"It's unfortunate that we have to go into those tunnels, but you know what, there's 40,000 terrorists waiting in Gaza and those gloves are off now. And Israel, one at a time is right, when they have to go in there, it's time to finally dismantle Hamas for good," Cohen said.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., speaks at press conference on committee assignments for the 118th U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. in January 2023. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., wrote a thread on X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday evening warning about misinformation "in the fog of war" after initially sharing a post placing blame for a deadly hospital blast in Gaza City on Israel, which has since been proven false by U.S. intelligence and the Israel Defense Forces.
Initially on Tuesday, the 'Squad' member shared a breaking news story from The Associated Press, which cited the Gaza Health Ministry, describing a deadly explosion at the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza as the result of an Israeli airstrike. She began her post with, "bombing a hospital is among the gravest of war crimes" and ended it by saying President Biden "needs to push for an immediate ceasefire to end this slaughter."
Israel has continuously rebutted the allegations, and Biden, who was in Israel on Wednesday, said he believed the explosion was "done by the other team." Biden later stated intelligence from the Pentagon supports Israel’s assertion that the blast originated from rocket fire in Gaza. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson also reaffirmed the U.S. position.
On Wednesday, Omar responded to her initial post with a thread describing the importance of sharing credible information, which failed to include a strong condemnation of the Palestinian terrorist group Islamic Jihad, who is believed to have launched the failed rocket.
She wrote the following:
"Our office cited an AP report yesterday that the IDF had hit a Baptist hospital in Gaza. Since then, the IDF denied responsibility and the US intelligence assessment is that this was not done by Israel."
"It is a reminder that information is often unreliable and disputed in the fog of war (especially on Twitter where misinformation is rampant). We all have a responsibility to ensure information we are sharing is from credible sources and to acknowledge as new reports come in."
"It is critical that we have a fully independent investigation to determine conclusively who is responsible for this war crime."
Omar, who was thanked by few users for issuing a correction, was mostly met with demands for an apology and many asked her to condemn the blast from a misfired rocket with the same energy she used in her initial tweet placing blame on Israel.
On Wednesday, it was determined that the misfired rocket appeared to have struck a parking lot near the Hamas-run hospital, which was treating wounded Palestinians and sheltering many others. The hospital was damaged, but not destroyed.
The Gaza Health Ministry initially reported at least 500 people were killed at the hospital, but, as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Reuters quoted the Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry saying 471 people are dead.
The U.S. 6th Fleet Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) departed Gaeta, Italy, Oct. 18, 2023, in support of U.S. operations in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
The United States Navy is sending another warship to the eastern Mediterranean as tensions in the Middle East rise amid the Israel-Hamas war.
The USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), the Navy's command and control ship, left Gaeta, Italy, on Wednesday to join the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group in support of U.S. operations in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Operating as the most sophisticated Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C4I) ship ever commissioned, according to the Navy, the USS Mount Whitney was the tactical command hub for the U.S. military's Operation Odyssey Dawn against the Libyan regime in 2011.
"USS Mount Whitney incorporates various elements of the most advanced C4I equipment and gives the embarked Joint Task Force Commander the capability to effectively command widely dispersed air, ground and maritime units in an integrated fashion," the Navy said in a release, adding that "the ship's afloat communications capability is second to none."
Pro-Palestinian student groups on Wednesday staged a march and “die-in” at Harvard Business School to protest the “genocide” of Palestinians in Gaza.
The Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee and Harvard Graduate Students for Palestine organized a march from Harvard's main campus in Cambridge to its business school in Boston. The protest came more than a week after Hamas killed hundreds of
Israeli civilians in an Oct. 7 attack. In response, Israel has declared war on the terrorist group and has bombarded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes. Hamas has also fired its own rockets into Israel.
On Wednesday, chants of "Hey! Hey! You can’t hide, we charge you with genocide" and "F--- Harvard Business School" could be heard from the marchers.
Harvard University has been the center of controversy ever since the Hamas attack on Israel, with pro-Palestinian student groups releasing a joint statement claiming Israel was "entirely responsible" for Hamas’ attack.
"Today's events did not occur in a vacuum," the statement said. "For the last two decades, millions of Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to live in an open-air prison."
The letter prompted Harvard alumnus and billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, to demand Harvard release the names of the student member of the more than 30 student groups that signed the statement, so that he and other CEOs do not "inadvertently hire any" of them after graduation.
Read more here about the "die-in" by Harvard Students.
Fox News Digital's Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.
President Biden pauses during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel on Wednesday. (Miriam Alster/Pool Photo via AP)
A veteran State Department official resigned Tuesday over policy disagreements with President Biden’s support of Israel amid its response to the deadly attacks committed by Hamas.
Josh Paul, who spent 11 years in the agency’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which overseas the provisions of arms to U.S. partners and allies, said Israel’s response will “only lead to more and deeper suffering for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.”
“This administration’s response – and much of Congress’ as well – is an impulsive reaction built on confirmation bias, political convenience, intellectual bankruptcy, and bureaucratic inertia,” Paul wrote in a two-page letter posted to LinkedIn.
He said he fears the U.S. is repeating the same mistakes “we have made these past three decades, and I decline to be a part of it for longer.
”He called the deadly attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas a “monstrosity of monstrosities.” Israel has pummeled the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip in the days following the Oct. 7 attack, in which children were also killed and kidnapped by terrorist fighters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he told Biden on Wednesday that Israel will continue to not allow humanitarian assistance in the form of food and medicines from our territory to the Gaza Strip as long as Hamas still has captives.
Paul concluded his letter by wishing his former colleagues well.
“And I wish all of us ― peace,” he said.
The State Department said it declined to comment on Paul's resignation.
Many Hollywood celebrities are afraid to publicly support Israel over fears of “being canceled” and have instead drawn a moral equivalence with Palestinians, one critic said.
Lieba Nesis, entertainment writer for The Jewish Voice, pointed to Kylie Jenner's attempt at showing solidarity with Israel to her 400 million followers by sharing a post that read, "Now and always, we stand with the people of Israel!"
She later deleted the post following intense backlash.
"They're afraid of being canceled," Nesis told Fox News Digital. "Hollywood people live in a bubble. They're in their own little world… They never go out there and see real people. So they just fraternize with each other and they all hold the same opinions. If you diverge from that, you threaten your career, you threaten being boycotted."
"Frozen" actor Josh Gad, the grandson of Holocaust survivors, faced similar blowback.
Nesis said Gad "felt the need to correct himself" for his initial reaction expressing sympathy for Israel, writing on social media he was "personally attacked, shamed, unfollowed and threatened.”
He reiterated his long-standing criticism of the Israeli government's "occupation and their attacks on innocent Gazans."
Some celebrities have refused to give in to the pressure. Former champion boxer Floyd Mayweather expressed his unabashed support for Israel, writing on Instagram that "I stand with Israel against the Hamas terrorists. Hamas do not represent the people of Palestine but are a terrorist group that are attacking innocent lives!”
"He had to implore other celebrities and athletes to speak out for Israel," Nesis said about Mayweather. "I mean, that's what he's doing because he himself sees the silence."
Read more about Lieba Nesis' take on Hollywood's support of Israel.
Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., continues to believe the Hamas narrative about a blast at a Gaza hospital it claims was targeted by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) despite finding by Israeli and American intelligence that say otherwise.
Tlaib, a member of the far-left "Squad," accused the Biden administration on Wednesday of funding a "genocide" against Palestinians as she wept while speaking to the crowd of protestors calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
"That's what's been really painful — just continue to watch people think it's okay to bomb a hospital where children. You know, what's so hard sometimes is watching those videos and the people telling the kids, 'Don't cry.' But like, let them cry! And they're shaking, and somebody — you know this — they keep telling them not to cry in Arabic. They can cry, I can cry, we all can cry. If we're not crying, something is wrong," Tlaib said.
While crying, she went on to tell the protestors they were "on the right side of history."
Tlaib first repeated a claim by Hamas that Israel bombed the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City despite video evidence and an assessment from the U.S. National Security Council that a terrorist group's own rockets caused the reported damage and deaths.
Hamas claimed the blast killed 500 people.
"Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that," Tlaib wrote on X on Tuesday.
A spokesperson from the IDF said in a tweet on Israel's main X account just hours later that the Christian hospital in Gaza was destroyed by a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket amid their barrage, not an Israeli missile.
Read more about Rep. Rashida Tlaib's response to the Gaza blast.
A Seattle man returned to Israel to serve as a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces after learning his cousins and their three children were among the hundreds of civilians killed by Hamas terrorist fighters during its brutal Oct. 7 attack.
The man, who only identified as Rotem, works in the tech industry and has been living in Seattle for about a decade with his family, He received a text message from a member of his old IDF unit last week urging him to check the news.
"A friend in my reserve unit texted me, ‘I think we are going to meet each other earlier than we thought.' And I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ He said, ’Check the news.’ I saw what was happening … understood we were going to be drafted,” Rotem told “America Reports” on Wednesday.
“My wife knew this was going to happen; we had been speaking about it. Being a reservist for God knows, how long now, over 20 years, so it was clear that I was going to jump on the first plane and make it to Israel," he added.
After watching what unfolded in Israel, Rotem decided to join more than 300,000 other IDF reservists who were called up to serve.
"It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was a very clear-cut decision," he said Wednesday on "America Reports."
Read more about the IDF reservist.
Israel and Hamas continue to trade blame for a Tuesday explosion at the al-Ahali Hospital in Gaza City that the terrorist group said killed hundreds of people, fueling outrage throughout the Arab world.
Israel has countered that the hospital was hit after a rocket misfire in Gaza launched by the Palestine Islamic Jihad, another terror group.
Online video making the rounds on social media suggests the al-Ahali Hospital in Gaza City was not directly hit by a rocket on Tuesday, but instead the missile appears to have struck a nearby parking lot, leading to many conflicting claims of who was responsible, where the missile struck and how many people died.
"An analysis of IDF operational systems indicates that a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing in close proximity to the al-Ahli [Baptist] hospital in Gaza at the time it was hit," IDF officials said. "Intelligence from multiple sources we have in our hands indicates that Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch which hit the hospital in Gaza."
Hamas was targeting Tel Aviv with rocket fire on Tuesday and has been targeting central Israel multiple times each day.
President Biden, who was in Israel on Wednesday, stated intelligence from the Defense Department supports Israel’s assertion that the blast originated from rocket fire in Gaza.
Israeli media showed footage from their own cameras that appears to show at least one rocket fired by Palestinians in Gaza falling short and landing on a hospital in their own territory.
Read more about the Gaza hospital blast.
Fox News' Greg Wehner, Michael Tobin and Trey Yingst contributed to this report.
An Israeli Christian man who lives three miles from the border with Lebanon said he evacuated his family because he believes Hezbollah is a more powerful enemy than Hamas.
"There's no reason for kids and children to hear those explosions," Shadi Khaloul said. "As a responsible father, I just sent them away from here, and I asked them to just pray for us."
Since Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 attack, there have been fears of Hezbollah — an Iran-backed terrorist group in Lebanon — entering the war.
Israel evacuated its residents that live within 1.2 miles from Lebanon on Monday amid cross-border fire, including Hezbollah launching anti-tank missiles into the Jewish state.
Khaloul said he evacuated his wife, children, brother, and sister-in-law, as well as his nieces and nephews to Europe.
He didn’t specify which country, citing security reasons. "I am here with my parents," Khaloul said, adding that he hasn’t evacuated because "I am here to defend our home, community and Israel."
President Biden said he got “no pushback” from Israeli leaders about his pledge to give $100 million in humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza and the West Bank and other matters.
“I got no pushback,” Biden told reporters while at Ramstein Air Base in Germany following his visit to Israel. “Virtually none.”
Biden spent Wednesday in Israel where he spoke with Israeli leaders and announced a $100 million pledge in humanitarian aid to assist the people of Gaza and the West Bank.
He added that reports that U.S. troops would back Israeli forces if Israel is attacked by Hezbollah , a Lebanon-based terrorist group, were false.
The president also said he was confident in Defense Department intelligence that determined an explosion at a Hamas-run hospital on Tuesday was the work of terrorists, not Israel.
The explosion occurred at the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, which Hamas said was the result of an Israeli airstrike. The news was met with condemnation across the Arab world and prompted the cancelation of a four-way summit between Biden and regional leaders in Jordan.
Israel determined the explosion was the result of a rocket misfire in Gaza by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group.
“Our Defense Department says it’s highly unlikely that (it was) the Israelis,” Biden said. “I’m not saying Hamas deliberately did it either. It’s that old thing, you got to learn how to shoot straight.”
“It’s not the first time Hamas has launched something that didn’t function,” he added.
President Biden pauses during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel on Wednesday. (Miriam Alster/Pool Photo via AP)
President Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office on Thursday to discuss the wars in the Israel and Ukraine, the White House said.
Biden will deliver his speech at 8 p.m. ET.
“Tomorrow, President Biden will address the nation to discuss our response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel and Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine,” a White House statement said.
Biden visited Israel on Wednesday where he spoke with Israeli officials about the ongoing war with Hamas and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip.
He has pledged to support Israel while at the same time providing military aid to Ukraine amid its war with Russia.
In January 2020, Iran launched a wave of missiles at Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq and a base in Arbil, capital of Iraq's Kurdish region, in retaliation for the U.S. killing Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike. (Ayman Henna/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. military forces in Iraq destroyed a drone and damaged another at bases hosting American troops, officials said Wednesday.
American and coalition forces defended themselves against three drones in the past 24 hours, said U.S. Central Command.
Coalition forces sustained minor injuries while engaging the two drones in western Iraq, CENTCOM said. In a northern part of the country, U.S. forces destroyed a drone and no injuries were reported.
Two U.S. defense officials confirmed to Fox News that the U.S. intercepted two one-way attack drones targeting Iraq's al-Asad air base where American troops are located.
Officials were still assessing the impacts to operations.
“In this moment of heightened alert, we are vigilantly monitoring the situation in Iraq and the region,” a CENTCOM statement said. “We want to emphasize U.S. forces will defend U.S. and Coalition forces against any threat.”
Defense officials tell Fox News the U.S. currently has about 2,500 troops in Iraq. Officials didn’t say who is believed to be responsible for the drones.
Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
A spokesperson for the Israel defense Forces (IDF) criticized mainstream media outlets for reporting claims by Hamas that Israel was responsible for an explosion at a hospital that the terrorist group said killed hundreds of people.
"This is an organization that will butcher babies in their bedrooms, they’ll have no problem lying to you," IDF Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said Wednesday on "Outnumbered."
Israel said the Tuesday explosion was the result of a rocket misfire launched by the Palestine Islamic Jihad terror group from Gaza. The IDF has since released video footage of the blast.
However, many news organizations, and some U.S. congress members, reported the claims by the Hamas Health Ministry.
Israel has accused Hamas of spreading misinformation and false claims.
Lerner sparred with a CNN host earlier in the day, accusing the network of not really wanting the "proof," before the CNN anchor firmly pushed back. He addressed the CNN spat during his "Outnumbered" appearance that turned into a plea for journalists to carefully cover the conflict.
Lerner said that viewers and journalists alike need to understand there is a "responsibility" when reporting, particularly when covering conflict.
"In these crazy times, in times of conflict, we need to be responsible and stand up to that responsibility… I’ve been presenting Israel’s case in order to try to get this message across – Hamas cannot be trusted," Lerner said.
Fox News Digital's Brian Flood contributed to this report.
Dozens of protesters took to the streets near the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to call for ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip worsens, resulting in 300 arrests, authorities said.
Footage from inside the Cannon Office Building shows a large group chanting “Ceasefire Now” and calling for Congress to demand the fighting stop in Israel.
The group Jewish Voice for Peace said some demonstrators had been arrested inside the U.S. Capitol building.
“We're all here to demand an end to the genocide of the Palestinian people, aided and abetted by the U.S. government,” the group wrote on X, formally Twitter.
In a subsequent post, the group said it refuses to standby “as the Israeli government commits genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.”
The House Sergeant at Arms said it was restricting access because of the demonstration.
“Due to First Amendment activities on Capitol Grounds, all pedestrian entry points to the House Office Buildings are restricted to Members and Staff ONLY,” a message from the House Sergeant at Arms said.
The U.S. Capitol Police said it began making arrests when protesters failed to stop demonstrating in the Cannon Rotunda. Demonstrations are not allowed in congressional buildings.
Among those arrested, at least three people were taken into custody on suspicion of assault on a police officer during processing, the USCP said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis released a video message criticizing President Biden over a $100 million pledge for humanitarian assistance for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. (Gov. Rob DeSantis)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized President Biden over his announcement Wednesday to give a $100 million “gift” to Hamas.
During his trip to Israel, Biden pledged the funds for humanitarian assistance in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
DeSantis said the money will likely not make it to the people who need it most in Gaza.
“We know Hamas is going to commandeer that money and Hamas is going to use it to advance terrorism,” he said in a video message. “I say no U.S. tax dollars to the Gaza Strip.”
DeSantis noted Hamas is still holding American hostages in Gaza and urged his fellow Republicans vying for the party’s presidential nomination to stand with him.
"This money will support more than 1 million displaced and conflict-affected Palestinians, including emergency needs in Gaza," he said.
Biden said the money will “support more than 1 million displaced and conflict-affected Palestinians, including emergency needs” in Gaza, saying they are in dire need of food, water, shelter and medical care.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul arrives in Tel Aviv to speak with Israeli leaders and victims and their families following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas (Gov. Kathy Hochul / X)
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul flew to Israel Wednesday to speak with leaders and Israelis amid the country’s escalating war with Hamas.
Hochul met with Michael Herzog, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, in Tel Aviv and spoke with victims and the families of hostages “who experienced hell on earth in the community of Kfar Aza when Hamas attacked.”
“Our hearts break for them,” she wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. “We pray for the safe return of those who have been taken hostage and will continue to do whatever we can to support them.”
Upon touching her arrival, Hochul said New York and Israel share a special bond and that “and I’m proud to be here to show our solidarity with the Israeli people.”
President Biden also visited Israel on Wednesday where he spoke with Israeli leaders about the ongoing conflict.
Scotland's First Minister and SNP leader Humza Yousaf called for the United Kingdom to help the people of Gaza on Wednesday. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)
Humza Yousaf, the First Minister of Scotland, on Wednesday called for the nation to offer “safety and sanctuary” to the people of the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to elected leaders, Yousaf called for the international community to create a global refugee program to assist Gazans.
He specifically called on the United Kingdom to create a refugee resettlement program for Gazans who want to leave.
“Scotland is willing to be the first country in the UK to offer safety and sanctuary to those who are caught up in these terrible attacks,” he said.
Yousaf also urged for the medical evacuation of injured civilians in Gaza. He said Scotland was “ready to play her part” to help treat the injured.
He noted that his brother-in-law is a doctor in Gaza.
“He tells us of scenes of absolute carnage, hospitals running out of medical supplies, doctors, nurses having to make the most difficult decision of all – who to treat and who to let die,” he said. “That can’t be allowed. Not in this day and age.”
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - OCTOBER 18: Family and friends of those taken hostage by Hamas during their attacks of 7/10, hold a protest outside the Kirya military base on October 18, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Multiple international partners, including the United Kingdom, stand ready to assist Israeli forces to rescue hostages taken by Hamas during its terrorist attack on Oct. 7 and used as "bargaining chips," according to a report.
"The way that Hamas is holding the hostages looks like they’ve scattered them over the territory of Gaza very widely," said Justin Crump, a military veteran and chief executive of security and intelligence group Sibylline. He argued that Western nations with strong special forces capabilities should "help to get their citizens back."
At least 4,200 people have been killed since Hamas launched thousands of missiles into Israel last week, including at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers and 31 Americans. Palestinian health authorities say at least 2,808 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,950 wounded.
President Biden visited Israel on Wednesday and addressed reporters, saying that "as the American president, there is no higher priority than the release and safe return of all these hostages."
"For those who are living in limbo, waiting desperately to learn the fate of a loved one, especially to families of the hostages, you are not alone. We’re working with partners throughout the region, pursuing every avenue to bring home those who are being held captive by Hamas," he said, adding that he "can’t speak publicly" about the details of any such plans.
Hamas took around 199 Israelis hostages. Various other nations have confirmed a number of its citizens either missing or taken hostage during the attack, with 13 Americans unaccounted for and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly confirming that his government believes up to 10 British nationals are held hostage in the Gaza Strip.
The families of hostages held captive by Hamas on Wednesday slammed the Israeli government's decision to permit limited humanitarian aid into Gaza.
A statement released by the Hostage and Missing Families Forum said the aid would comfort "murderers and kidnappers" while the hostages suffer.
“Children, infants, women, soldiers, men, and elderly, some with serious illnesses, wounded and shot, are held underground like animals and without human conditions, and the Israeli government pampers the murderers and kidnappers with baklavas and medicines,” the statement read.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said earlier Israel will allow Egypt to deliver limited quantities of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Israel "will not thwart" deliveries of food, water and medicine, as long as the supplies to not reach Hamas, Israeli officials said.
It was not clear when the aid would start flowing. Egypt’s Rafah crossing has only a limited capacity, and Egypt says it has been damaged by Israeli airstrikes.
The Associated Press contributed to this update.
On Oct. 7, 2023, at around 6:30 in the morning, a barrage of missiles bombarded Israel.
Around the same time, terrorists paraglided into a music festival for peace. Hundreds of attendees stood alongside friends and family members dancing, singing and celebrating life at an outdoor venue decorated with music and neon lights. Within minutes, hundreds of attendees were slaughtered by Hamas, an Iranian-backed terrorist group. Later that morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war against Hamas
"We hear a lot of bombs," said Laura Malo to Fox News Digital. Malo was born in Colombia but presently lives in Israel. She was one of the hundreds of innocent victims of the terrorist attack on the festival, but she, unlike so many others, narrowly escaped with her life.
Malo and her friend were aware this barrage was much more violent than the typical events of the recurring conflict between Israel and Hamas. They quickly got into her car and sped off in hopes of finding safety. Malo checked her phone for a map of anywhere they could escape to.
"I saw in the phone in the map just one way to someplace, some town," she said. "I see the doors of the kibbutz is open and I saw a soldier. When I saw the soldier, I feel saved, but this is when the soldier take the gun and start shooting us."
She expressed her inability to tell whether the soldier was in an IDF or Hamas uniform but quickly learned he was there to kill her. The soldier shot through her car again and again. Malo jolted her wheel in the opposite direction and drove away from the gunfire.
At some point, Malo was in a car accident, which led her and her friend to flee by foot. They crawled through dirt, grass, hills and valleys and located an abandoned greenhouse. The friends hid in the greenhouse for 16 hours without food and water, terrified for their lives.
"Really, actually, I feel like I’m gonna die," Malo said.
The Israeli Embassy to the United States shared a GIF from "The Matrix" in response to a declaration from Iran that Israel's "Time is OVER!"
The Embassy replied with a GIF of Neo, the main character of the seminal 1999 science fiction kung-fu film, waving "come on."
It's a message that shows Israel is prepared for a fight as the Jewish state simultaneously defends itself from Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah fighters to the north in Lebanon. Iran has previously supported both groups and called for Israel's destruction.
Iran’s foreign minister posted an ominous tweet on Wednesday that said time is "running out" for Israel. The post was made hours after a Hamas-run hospital in Gaza suffered an explosion that reportedly left hundreds dead.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian posted the tweet after Hamas blamed Israel for the blast at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, where the Gaza health ministry said more than 500 were killed. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) denied attacking the hospital and has since investigated the blast. The IDF determined the blast was caused by a rocket misfire launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. U.S. intelligence also points to a terror group, and not Israel, as causing the explosion.
Fox News' Lawrence Richard contributed to this post.
Calls from Capitol Hill lawmakers to freeze the $6 billion in Iranian funds reached through controversial negotiations increased this week.
Nearly 20 GOP senators are calling on the Biden administration to freeze the funds that were released to a Qatar account in exchange for five American prisoners last month.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., led a group of GOP senators on Tuesday, urging the administration to "limit Iran’s ability to provide support to Hamas."
She blamed President Biden for sending Palestine over $730 million in aid since taking office through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
"And yesterday, we learned Hamas stole aid from that group," Blackburn said. "I'll be introducing legislation to halt all funding for them until Iran is expelled from the UN and investigated for violations."
"We must permanently freeze the $6 billion ransom payment to Iran," she added. "We must halt taxpayer dollars going to the Palestinians, and we must secure our own southern border, and we must stand with Israel."
Fox News' Jamie Joseph contributed to this update.
Lebanese security forces use water cannons as they clash with protesters outside the US Embassy in Awkar east of Beirut, during a demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip, on October 18, 2023. Thousands rallied across the Arab and Muslim world on October 18 to protest the deaths of hundreds of people in a strike on a Gaza hospital that they blame on Israel, despite its denials. (Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)
The U.S. embassy in Lebanon said its staff and facilities "remain secure and undamaged" after riots broke out during a pro-Palestinian protest in Beirut.
"We are aware of protests this afternoon in Awkar in the vicinity of the U.S. Embassy," said embassy spokesperson Jake Nelson. "Unfortunately, violent protesters damaged private property in the surrounding neighborhood of the embassy, but embassy personnel and facilities remain secure and undamaged."
The Embassy thanked Lebanese security forces for working to secure the area after rioters holding Palestinian flags took down a security wall and cut a barbed wire barrier on a road leading to the embassy. Riot police lobbed dozens of teargas canisters and fired water cannons to disperse the protesters in the intense standoff, the Associated Press reported.
"As noted in the U.S. travel advisory for Lebanon, U.S. citizens should avoid demonstrations and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings or protests, as some of these have turned violent," the Embassy said.
National Security expert Dr. Rebecca Grant writes in a Fox News op-ed that the Israel-Hamas war has become President Biden's "biggest national security test."
"Done right, American leadership will keep the Abraham Accords peace process on track, slam the door on Iran and prevent China from making cheap diplomatic gains," Grant writes.
She encourages Biden to dispatch military forces to the Middle East to constrain Iran and ease the flow of military supplies to Israel.
"Are you wondering if America can supply both Israel and Ukraine? The answer is yes," Grant writes.
"Israel will get advanced, precise air weapons, while Ukraine needs the artillery to keep up its offensive against Russian forces. The equipment going to Ukraine aid is "mapped out" through January 2024, said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General C.Q. Brown on Oct. 11.
"Make no mistake. Biden needs to get this one right. The Afghanistan withdrawal debacle, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Chinese military activity around Taiwan have taken their toll on America’s reputation. Not to mention the Chinese balloon. With Israel, Biden faces an immediate crisis demanding swift action with no margin for error. The risk of failure is emboldening Iran, and that’s just for starters."
The State Department has raised the travel advisory for Lebanon, urging U.S. citizens not to travel to the country "due to the unpredictable security situation related to rocket, missile, and artillery exchanges between Israel and Hizballah or other armed militant factions."
The advisory issued on Tuesday also urged people to reconsider travel to Lebanon "due to terrorism, civil unrest, armed conflict, crime, kidnapping" and the U.S. Embassy in Beirut’s "limited capacity to provide support to U.S. citizens." The State Department authorized the voluntary, temporary departure of family members of U.S. government personnel and some non-emergency personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut due to "the unpredictable security situation in Lebanon ."
The advisory was hiked to Level 4, "Do not travel" — the highest level — from Level 3, "Reconsider travel."
The advisory notes the State Department is authorizing non-emergency staff and family members to leave the country (on a case-by-case basis), what the department refers to as an "authorized departure." Basically, the embassy is still functioning with non-essential staff allowed to leave if they want.
The embassy also posted guidance to U.S. citizens in Lebanon. It says not to travel to the border with Syria due to "terrorism and armed conflict," the border with Israel due to "the potential for armed conflict" and refugee settlements due to "the potential for armed clashes."
The State Department also warns U.S. citizens of "the risk of traveling on flights that fly over Syria, which include some flights to and from Beirut."
The embassy in Lebanon said "terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Lebanon," warning the attacks may unfold "with little or no warning targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities."
Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this update.
President Biden revealed Wednesday that data he has seen from the U.S. Department of Defense has made him sure that Israel is not to blame for a blast at a hospital in the Gaza Strip that has left hundreds of people dead.
Biden said earlier that the explosion that rocked the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday -- which Hamas is claiming was the result of an Israeli airstrike – was "done by the other team."
When asked later Wednesday what made him so sure about that, Biden said "The data I was shown by my defense department."
President Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday, where he held a brief press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In their remarks, both leaders highlighted the death toll of the war, the atrocities committed by Hamas, and the impact on children in Israel.
"I was outraged by the bombing of the hospital yesterday. Based on what I’ve seen, it was done by the other team. Not you," Biden said to Netanyahu. "But there's a lot of people out there who are not sure."
Fox News' Greg Norman and Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this update.
Israel claimed that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an Islamic terrorist group based in Gaza, is responsible for the airstrike that claimed the lives of as many as 500 Palestinians in a hospital in Gaza City.
Hamas immediately blamed Israel. In response, the Israeli military showed that, based on surveillance and an audio recording, a misfired rocket with intentions of targeting Tel Aviv from the Palestinian terrorist group caused the strike at al-Ahli Baptist hospital. Al-Ahli had housed wounded Palestinians and those seeking shelter after Israel told residents to flee Gaza City before the military's invasion.
Along with Hamas and Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad is part of a network of terror groups on Israel's borders that commit acts of terrorism. With an estimated 1,000 members, PIJ is the second largest, after Hamas, in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
The Islamic terrorist group was founded by Fathi Shaqaqi in 1979, according to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) website. It was then designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State in 1997. As a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, PIJ seeks to establish an Islamist Palestinian state to destroy Israel.
Headquartered in Lebanon, PIJ maintains a presence in Gaza, the West Bank and Syria.
Secretary General Ziyad al-Nakhalah, who was classified as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. Department of State, is the current leader of PIJ.
Fox News' Breana Scheckwitz contributed to this update.
President Biden on Wednesday gave remarks in Tel Aviv after meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
The president said his message to Israel is "you are not alone," which comes as the Jewish state wages war against Hamas for atrocities committed in a surprise attack on Oct. 7. More than 1,300 Israeli civilians were killed by terrorists, the president said, including at least 31 American citizens.
"Scores of innocents from infants to elderly grandparents, Israelis and Americans taken hostage, children slaughtered, babies slaughtered, entire families massacred, rapde, beheaded, bodies burned alive. Most committed atrocities that recall the worst ravages of ISIS, unleashing pure, unadulterated evil upon the world. There's no rationalizing it, no excusing, period. The brutality we saw would have cut deep anywhere in the world," Biden said.
Biden said the United States is working with partners in the Middle East to bring home captives held by Hamas, saying, "there's no higher priority than the release and safe return of all these hostages."
The president also said he will ask Congress for an "unprecedented support package for Israel's defense."
A violent clash between hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters and security forces on Wednesday outside of the U.S. embassy in Lebanon left several wounded.
Rioters holding Palestinian flags and flags of Palestinian factions took down a security wall and cut a barbed wire barrier on a road leading to the embassy. Riot police lobbed dozens of teargas canisters and fired water canons to disperse the protesters in the intense standoff, the Associated Press reported.
Elsewhere, in a suburb south of Beirut, the Islamic group Hezbollah organized a rally in support of the Palestinians and slammed the U.S. for its ongoing support of Israel.
“The time has perhaps come for the peoples of the region to declare their word in the face of American tyranny,” Senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine said in a speech at the rally, per the AP.
Israeli forces have clashed with Hezbollah fighters several times in border towns to Israel's north since war broke out in Gaza last week.
The Associated Press contributed to this update.
The U.S. State Department on Wednesday announced new sanctions on 10 Hamas members who have supported terrorism and enabled the brutal Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
"Today, the United States is imposing sanctions on ten key Hamas terrorist group members, operatives, and financial facilitators in Gaza and elsewhere. These individuals have supported Hamas and other terrorist organizations, enabling Hamas to conduct its brutal terrorism and carry out acts like the vicious attack on Israel," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
"Today’s actions are directed at Hamas terrorists and their support network, not Palestinians. Hamas alone is responsible for the carnage its militants have inflicted on the people of Israel, and it should immediately release all hostages in its custody. The United States will not relent in using all the tools at our disposal to disrupt Hamas terrorist activity," the secretary said.
The U.S. Treasury Department said the action targets "members managing assets in a secret Hamas investment portfolio, a Qatar-based financial facilitator with close ties to the Iranian regime, a key Hamas commander, and a Gaza-based virtual currency exchange and its operator."
“The United States is taking swift and decisive action to target Hamas’s financiers and facilitators following its brutal and unconscionable massacre of Israeli civilians, including children,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
“The U.S. Treasury has a long history of effectively disrupting terror finance and we will not hesitate to use our tools against Hamas. We will continue to take all steps necessary to deny Hamas terrorists the ability to raise and use funds to carry out atrocities and terrorize the people of Israel. That includes by imposing sanctions and coordinating with allies and partners to track, freeze, and seize any Hamas-related assets in their jurisdictions," she added.
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this update.
SpaceX Starlink internet terminal installed in Odesa, southern Ukraine. (Nina Lyashonok/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Israel is looking to secure the use of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites as a backup communication system amid the country’s ongoing war against the Gaza-based Hamas terror group.
The talks between Israel and SpaceX were revealed on Tuesday by a government official and come as President Biden visited Israel on Wednesday. Israel has been at war since a Hamas terror attack on Oct. 7 killed at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers and 30 Americans. The Israel Defense Forces are preparing a ground incursion into Gaza and have carried out strikes that the Palestinian health authorities have said killed at least 2,800 people.
Israel Minister of Communications Shlomo Karhi wrote in a post on X that Israel is working with SpaceX to purchase Starlink satellite communication terminals so that they can be operated in the country to sustain internet connectivity.
He explained that Starlink would help ensure internet connectivity for towns in frontline conflict zones near Israel’s borders with hostile neighbors – such as the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah has a significant presence and has threatened to enter the war on the side of Hamas.
Israeli communities in southern Israel are regularly targeted with rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and several were overrun by Hamas on Oct. 7, with many civilians killed and at least 199 abducted into Gaza as hostages of the terror group.
Fox Business' Eric Revell contributed to this update.
Riot police clashed with protesters outside the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon on Wednesday during "day of anger" demonstrations against Israel after an explosion at a hospital in Gaza.
What sounded like gunfire and explosions could be heard on the streets of Beirut as police attempted to disperse the riots.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the embassy on Tuesday night after Hezbollah called for a "day of anger" in response to the blast at the hospital. Palestinian authorities claimed an Israeli airstrike on the hospital killed 500 people. Israel Defense Forces contested the claim with audio evidence they said showed a Palestinian Islamic Jihad missile misfired and hit the hospital.
Tear gas was deployed near the embassy on Tuesday. A source told Fox News Digital that around 1,000 people, including supporters of Hezbollah, went to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut after a rocket hit the Gaza hospital.
Protesters threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at demonstrations, which caused a fire near the U.S. embassy in Beirut.
Fox News' Adam Sabes contributed to this post.
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - OCTOBER 18: Pope Francis speaks during his weekly general audience at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, Vatican on October 18, 2023. (Photo by Pablo Esparza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Pope Francis on Wednesday is urging the world to take "only one side" in the Israel-Hamas war – the one "of peace" – as he called for a special day of prayer at the Vatican next week.
Francis, speaking to his weekly audience, said, "War does not solve any problem, it only sows death and destruction, increases hatred, multiplies revenge. War erases the future," according to Reuters.
"I urge believers to take only one side in this conflict, that of peace, but not with words but with prayer and total dedication," he reportedly added.
Francis also said next Friday, Oct. 27, will be "a day of fasting, prayers, penance" at St. Peter's Basilica and pleaded for all possible efforts "to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe," Reuters reports.
Last week, Francis affirmed to his audience that Israel has a right to defend itself, but questioned if violence would solve the conflict.
"It is the right of those who are attacked to defend themselves," the pope said, "but I am very concerned about the total siege under which the Palestinians are living in Gaza, where there have also been many innocent victims."
Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this update.
President Biden is in Israel on Wednesday for a mission to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from escalating into a regional conflict.
The president met with Israeli first responders, who thanked him for showing America's unwavering support for Israel in this time of crisis. After speaking with them, Biden and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made remarks.
The president reiterated his unequivocal support for Israel. "You don't have to be a Jew to be a Zionist," said Biden.
Blinken said Israel is a "nation that is united, yes, in grief, but also united in resolve."
14 October 2023, Lebanon, Beirut: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian addresses journalists during his press conference at the Iranian embassy in Beirut. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa (Photo by Marwan Naamani/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Wednesday declared "Time is OVER!" for Israel in an ominous message posted on X.
“After the terrible crime of the Zionist regime in the bombing and massacre of more than 1,000 innocent women and children in the hospital, the time has come for the global unity of humanity against this fake regime more hated than ISIS and its killing machine,” Amirabdollahian wrote.
The Iranian embassy in Syria also posted "time is up" in both Hebrew and Arabic, the New York Post reported.
The statements came after the Hamas blamed Israel for a blast at a hospital in Gaza that killed as many as 500 people on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The Israel Defense Forces have said a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket misfired and caused the explosion and released audio evidence supporting their conclusion.
President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he reviewed evidence suggesting Israel was not responsible for the explosion.
"I was outraged by the bombing of the hospital yesterday. Based on what I’ve seen, it was done by the other team. Not you," Biden said to Netanyahu. "But there’s a lot of people out there who are not sure."
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Wednesday called for Islamic countries to expel Israeli ambassadors and impose an oil embargo and other sanctions on Israel.
Members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) are meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas after a blast rocked a hospital in Gaza reportedly killing a large number of Palestinians.
"The foreign minister calls for an immediate and complete embargo on Israel by Islamic countries, including oil sanctions, in addition to expelling Israeli ambassadors if relations with the Zionist regime have been established," the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Amirabdollahian also called for the formation of a team of Islamic lawyers to document potential war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza.
Iran has no diplomatic relations with Israel, which it calls a "Zionist regime," and its supreme leaders have a long history of issuing anti-Israel and anti-Semitic statements calling for the Jewish state's destruction.
Reuters contributed to this update.
The director of the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza made an urgent plea for the war between Israel and Hamas to end after a deadly blast there Tuesday night.
Suhaila Tarazi told the Associated Press the grisly scenes she encountered in the aftermath of the explosion were "unlike anything I have ever seen or could ever imagine." She was not at the hospital at the time of the blast but described body parts of children strewn in the hospital and the courtyard.
“Our hospital is a place of love and reconciliation,” Tarazi said. “We are all losers in this war. And it must end.”
Tarazi could neither confirm nor deny the death toll reported by the Hamas-run Health Ministry of at least 500 victims. "It could be more, it could be less. There are so many body parts that no one can really tell."
Hamas blamed the explosion on an Israeli airstrike. Israel Defense Forces contested that claim, pointing to evidence they say showed rockets fired by Islamic Jihad misfired and hit the hospital compound.
The Associated Press contributed to this update.
Police investigate the incident at the Kahal Adass Jisroel synagogue in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday, Oct. 18. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
A synagogue in Berlin has reportedly been targeted Wednesday by individuals who threw two Molotov cocktails at it in what a German Jewish group is calling a "terrorist attack."
The incident at the Kahal Adass Jisroel community drew a strong condemnation from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said, "We will never accept when attacks are carried out against Jewish institutions."
"Unknown persons threw two Molotov cocktails from the street," Kahal Adass Jisroel wrote on X.
Police said they were investigating "an attempted serious arson" in which two people approached the synagogue by foot at 3:45 a.m. and threw two Molotov cocktails, which burst on the sidewalk next to the building. The two people, their faces covered, ran away.
"We are all shocked by this terrorist attack," the Central Council of Jews said in a statement. "Above all, the families from the neighborhood around the synagogue are shocked and unsettled. Words become deeds. Hamas’ ideology of extermination against everything Jewish is also having an effect in Germany."
A couple of hours later, when police were investigating the incident, a 30-year-old man approached the synagogue on a scooter, threw it aside and tried running toward the building. When police officers detained him, he resisted and shouted anti-Israeli slogans.
The Kahal Adass Jisroel posted a video on X purportedly showing German police officers restraining an individual on the ground.
Fox News' Greg Norman and the Associated Press contributed to this update.
Israel's national security adviser on Tuesday predicted U.S. "involvement" in the escalating Israel-Hamas war if Iran and Hezbollah join to fight alongside Hamas.
Tzachi Hanegbi, head of the National Security Council of Israel, made the comments during a televised briefing, pointing to President Biden’s public warning to Hezbollah and Iran to keep out of the fighting and the deployment of U.S. Navy carrier strike groups to the Eastern Mediterranean.
"He is making clear to our enemies that if they even imagine taking part in the offensive against the citizens of Israel, there will be American involvement here," Hanegbi said of Biden’s support.
"Israel will not be alone. ... A U.S. force is here and it is ready," he added, without elaborating, according to Reuters.
The Pentagon has said no U.S. troops have been deployed, and it has not signaled that U.S. troops would be sent to the battlefield.
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Defense issued "be ready to deploy" orders for 2,000 troops, though it said no decisions have been made to deploy any forces at this time. Top officials emphasized that these U.S. troops would be used in advisory roles and provide medical support for Israeli forces.
Fox News' Stephen Sorace contributed to this update.
President Biden is in Israel in a show of support for America's closest ally in the Middle East and on a mission to prevent the conflict with Hamas from escalating into a regional war.
In remarks after meeting with the Israeli war cabinet, Biden said Hamas' surprise attack on Israel was "brutal, inhumane" and "almost beyond belief."
"You are not alone," the president said. "We will continue to have Israel's back as you work to defend your people. We will continue to work with you and partners across the region to prevent more tragedy."
Quoting Israel's founders, Biden said the Jewish state was "based on freedom, justice and peace."
"The United States stands with you in defense of that freedom, in pursuit of that justice and in support of that peace today, tomorrow and always, we promise you."
The president and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not take questions from the press.
GAZA CITY, GAZA - OCTOBER 18: An interior view of St Philip's Chapel of the Al-Ahli Arabi Baptist Hospital after it was hit in Gaza City, Gaza on October 18, 2023. (Photo by Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu via Getty Images)
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly rebuked those who rushed to blame Israel for the blast at Al Ahli hospital, stating, "too many jumped to conclusions around the tragic loss of life at Al Ahli hospital.”
“Getting this wrong would put even more lives at risk,” Cleverly wrote on X. "Wait for the facts, report them clearly and accurately."
"Cool heads must prevail," he added.
A rocket attack on the Gaza hospital left at least 500 people dead, Palestinian authorities said. Hamas said the explosion was the result of an Israeli airstrike. The Israel Defense Forces blamed the strike on Islamic Jihad.
Following an investigation, the IDF provided its findings with regard to the source of the airstrike.
"An analysis of IDF operational systems indicates that a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing in close proximity to the al-Ahli [Baptist] hospital in Gaza at the time it was hit," IDF officials said. "Intelligence from multiple sources we have in our hands indicates that Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch which hit the hospital in Gaza."
President Biden held a brief public meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly after arriving in the country in a historic wartime show of support for America's longtime ally.
During their conversation, Biden addressed the deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital that the Israel Defense Forces attributed to a misfired rocket from Palestinian Islamic Jihad after Hamas blamed the strike on Israel.
"I was outraged by the bombing of the hospital yesterday. Based on what I’ve seen, it was done by the other team. Not you," Biden said to Netanyahu. "But there’s a lot of people out there who are not sure."
Biden's comments on the hospital attack, which left more than 500 people dead, mark the first time the U.S. has assigned blame.
The two left the conference without answering any questions. Biden is set to meet privately with Israeli leaders during his short trip to the Jewish state.
Fox News Digital's Lawrence Richard contributed to this update.
The Israel Foreign Ministry released a photo taken by IDF radar footage showing the trajectory of the misfired rocket that killed hundreds at a Gaza hospital. (Israel Defense Forces)
Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari held a news conference Wednesday morning in efforts to prove a deadly explosion at the Al Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza was caused by Palestinian terrorist group Islamic Jihad, and not Israel.
The IDF conducted an after-action review with all relevant branches following the deadly explosion that left at least 500 people dead Tuesday evening, Hagari said. The review revealed that Hamas fired a barrage of rockets toward Israel at 6:15 p.m. local time, which was followed by the launch of around ten rockets by Islamic Jihad approximately 45 minutes later.
It was determined that one of the rockets launched by Islamic Jihad misfired and continued its flight toward the ground until it hit within the hospital compound, Hagari said, adding that intelligence captured two Hamas terrorists discussing the failed launch.
That conversation between the two was released publicly by the IDF Wednesday morning and translated into English. The two men can be heard acknowledging the misfire when one says "they are saying it belongs to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad," and that the shrapnel looks like it is local, not from the Israelis.
Then they start discussing how the rockets were shot from a cemetery behind the hospital, which is what Hagari said was determined in the review based on the trajectory analysis.
Hagari also said the IDF has counted approximately 450 rockets that have misfired and failed inside Gaza since Oct. 7, adding that "Palestinians pay the price."
Fox News' Trey Yingst reported that the Israelis have been consistent in denying responsibility for the attack.
"The facts on the ground, what we can report, the Israelis have provided both drone evidence, they've provided images, videos, and they have provided intercepted phone calls to indicate this was an Islamic Jihad rocket that misfired," Yingst said.
Yingst noted that Hamas stands by its initial claim that the Israelis are responsible for the hundreds killed at the hospital.
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