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Israel conducts ground incursion in Gaza tanks roll through border area
Israeli forces conducted "brief" ground incursions into the Gaza Strip as the war with Hamas enters its 20th day. The Hamas-run Health Ministry claims at least 6,546 Palestinians have been killed and 17,439 wounded. More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed since the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas, in which 224 people including foreigners were taken captive into Gaza. Four people have been released so far.
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Israel Defense Forces said an airstrike killed Madhath Mubashar, the commander of Hamas' Western Khan Yunis battalion.
Mubasher is accused of taking part in explosives and sniper attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilian communities.
"Furthermore, the IDF struck 250+ Hamas targets including a terrorist tunnel network in Gaza that detonated the secondary explosions," the IDF said.
Damage was reported in two Egyptian cities after they were hit by projectiles on Friday, according to Reuters.
Egyptian security forces told the outlet that Taba, which is near the Israel border, and Nuweiba experienced explosions. The country's state-linked Al-Qahera News reported that the explosion in Taba appeared to come from a missile launched during the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, which is about 137 miles away.
Six people were injured in Taba, according to Egypt's health ministry, after an ambulance facility and residential building were hit. Four of the six have already been discharged from the hospital.
Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari acknowledged the incident during a Friday briefing, saying:
"In the last few hours, an aerial threat was detected in the Red Sea area. Fighter jets were launched towards the threat, and this matter is currently under investigation. In our understanding, the damage caused in Egypt originates from this threat. Israel will work together with Egypt and the US and tighten the defense in the region against threats in the Red Sea area."
Israel apologized last weekend after several Egyptian border guards were injured by fragments of a shell from an Israeli tank.
Reuters contributed to this report.
The number of hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas terrorists has risen to 229, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said Friday afternoon.
Friday's number is five more than the 224 hostages reported on Thursday and the number is likely to change as various operations continue to unfold, Hagari said.
Since Hamas began taking hostages during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, only four have been released from custody – a mother-daughter duo from the Chicago area and two elderly Israeli women.
Hagari said the IDF is investing all of its efforts into its top priority of bringing the hostages home safely.
Melissa Weiss, executive editor of Jewish Insider, joined Trace Gallagher on "FOX News @ Night" from Jerusalem Thursday to discuss the unedited footage of Hamas' terror attack launched on Israel on Oct. 7.
Weiss, who was one of approximately 200 journalists allowed to view the footage in a private setting hosted by the Israel Defense Forces, described it as "atrocious" and "shocking."
"I think it was crucial to watch. You have to remember there are roughly 2,000 foreign journalists on the ground covering this war. Many of them have not been to Israel before. Many of them are not familiar with Hamas. So, for them, viewing this footage was an eye-opening experience," Weiss said. "They could not believe that Hamas was capable of this."
"When you look at this conflict, Hamas is not playing on the same level of morality as Israel and, frankly, as most of the world," Weiss said, adding that the things she saw will stay with her forever.
Israel launched a second brief incursion into Gaza overnight Thursday, Fox News correspondents reported from Tel Aviv Friday morning.
The Israel Defense Forces said Hamas terrorist targets were struck by ground troops, fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles over the past 24 hours. There were no injuries reported by the Israeli military and the troops were quickly out of the area.
Targets hit by the IDF include anti-tank missile launch sites, command and control centers, and Hamas operatives, according to the force.
The brief ground incursion mostly impacted the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of the northern Gaza Strip, according to Fox News' Mike Tobin, and marked the second consecutive night of such operations ahead of a looming invasion.
“I think preparation of the battlefield is the precise word to use there. That’s what we are getting from the Israelis,” Tobin reported from Tel Aviv at 10 a.m. Friday.
Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder conducts a news briefing in Washington, D.C.(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
American forces in Iraq and Syria were attacked three times on Thursday, according to Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.
"We're tracking that there were three attacks today, so it's now at 19 attacks, and again, we'll continue to update those numbers as new information comes in," Ryder said Thursday evening.
Since Oct. 17, there have been 19 attacks against American personnel in Iraq and Syria, including the three on Thursday, by a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets, the Department of Defense said.
Though specific groups responsible for the attacks were not named, Ryder said they "are affiliated with Iran."
At least 21 service members have been injured in the attacks, but all have returned to duty, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. One U.S. civilian contractor died after experiencing a cardiac incident while sheltering from the attacks.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., denounced a picture posted on X, formerly Twitter, showing "Free Palestine" written across a wall at a school in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, a predominantly Jewish community where the Tree of Life Synagogue is also located.
Fetterman described the picture, allegedly depicting an exterior wall at Allerdice High School, as "reprehensible."
"This is reprehensible," the senator wrote on X. "The only thing that belongs on a wall right now is this."
His post then included a picture of the wall outside his office in Washington, D.C., which shows an American flag and dozens of flyers with information on people who have been kidnapped by Hamas following its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
An antisemitic attack took place at the Tree of Life Synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, when a gunman opened fire on the congregation, leaving 11 people dead and six others wounded.
The U.S. military conducted airstrikes on two facilities in eastern Syria on Thursday in response to ongoing attacks against American military personnel in Iraq and Syria over the past week, according to the Department of Defense.
A pair of F-16s targeted two facilities – a weapons depot and an ammo storage area – near Abu Kamal used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated groups, a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News' Jennifer Griffin. It's unclear if there were any Iranian militants at the facilities when they were hit.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement Thursday night that the U.S. does not seek conflict, but the "Iranian-backed attacks" on American forces are "unacceptable and must stop."
"Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. We will not let them," Austin said. "If attacks by Iran’s proxies against U.S. forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people."
There have been 19 attacks against American personnel in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17, including three additional attacks on Thursday, according to Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.
A U.S. contractor died from a cardiac incident while sheltering in place during the attacks and 21 American troops were injured – all of whom have since returned to duty, Austin said.
Three Tulane University students in New Orleans, Louisiana were assaulted on Thursday when pro-Palestinian protests turned violent after a man tried to stop a protester from burning an Israeli flag.
Video obtained by Fox News Digital, which was made silent due to profanity, shows a truck with a masked man in the bed holding a Palestinian flag with another man, who is unmasked, holding an Israeli flag and a lighter.
When the second man appears to begin to light the Israeli flag on fire, another man holding an Israeli flag of his own runs up to the truck and attempts to stop the act before chaos breaks out and the interventionist is assaulted by pro-Palestinian protestors.
In total, three people were assaulted after the events turned chaotic.
An anti-Israel sign with the phrase "from the river to the sea Palestine will be free" at a protest at Tulane University. (Credit: Ryan Zamos)
In a letter sent to the Tulane Community, University President Michael A. Fitts and other school administrators called the day, “deeply distressing,” stating that three Tulane students were assaulted at the rally, which was “intentionally staged” on the public sidewalk along Freret Street. The university does not have control over the public sidewalk.
“This rally was not approved or sanctioned by Tulane,” the statement read. “There were approximately 40 plainclothes and uniformed New Orleans, Tulane, Loyola and State Police officers, including mounted police, who made arrests.”
Also on hand to assist were dozens of Tulane staff members.
Last night, university police apprehended a suspect for antisemitic vandalism to a building near the campus, the statement noted, and an investigation into Thursday’s events continues, which could lead to more arrests.
“To be clear: We condemn and are outraged by today’s violence and the hateful language and rhetoric we heard,” the statement read. “It is counter to everything we stand for at Tulane. What started out as a peaceful demonstration unfortunately devolved into a violent incident and a dark day for our community.”
Many of the people involved in the protest are not affiliated with the university, administrators added, and everyone who committed an illegal act will be held accountable for their actions.
“Tulane has always found strength in our unity. We must now lean on our common humanity and the Tulane spirit to find a path forward during these challenging times,” the statement read. “We cannot prevent protests from happening on public property even at our university’s doorstep. We can only protect and support one another as we face each new day together.”
China's Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Iran's Ali Khamenei's lead the countries described as the new "axis of evil," according to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. (Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images | Contributor/Getty Images | Scott Peterson/Getty Images)
Last Friday, Zhai Jun, China’s special envoy to the Middle East announced after a meeting the day before with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russia and China share “the same position on the Palestine question” and will work together on a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, while promoting the de-escalation of the situation.
Also last week, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping met in Beijing and called for an “immediate” cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In response, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY., during his Sunday TV appearances, branded China, Russia and Iran the new "Axis of Evil," advocating that this "immediate threat to the United States" must be dealt with on an "emergency basis."
The Kentucky Republican implied that in the Israel-Hamas war, Russia and China, both of whom have recently deepened relations with Iran, were on the side of the terrorists.
But there are several reasons why the “Axis of Evil” badge does not fit.
While both Putin and Xi are ruthless characters, their union is rather an axis of convenience and opportunity. Their primary mission now is to outplay Washington in the Israel-Hamas war and broader conflict.
Yes, Iran is malevolent. Obsessed with the mission to destroy Israel and harm the United States, Tehran can only be dealt with by force. But neither Russia, nor China are motivated by evil when it comes to their actions on the global stage. Putin and Xi are not religious fanatics. They are pragmatic, realpolitik-minded leaders. Although authoritarians, both are focused on: first, ensuring their countries’ security – that they equate with regime survivability; and second, on shifting the balance of power in their nation’s favor and away from the West.
While Moscow and Beijing seek to defeat U.S. forces on the battlefield – in the event that Washington directly intervenes in a conflict within their perceived respective spheres of influence, such as in Taiwan or Ukraine – neither has plans to launch a devastating strike on the U.S. homeland unprovoked.
Rebekah Koffler, a strategic military intelligence analyst and the author of Putin’s Playbook, contributed to this report.
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