December 14 | Top Biden adviser Jake Sullivan travels to Israel as Gaza refugees press Egyptian border

Hamas terrorist fighters
will not be safe in the terror group’s vast network of underground tunnels in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces said. 

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the terror group’s group tunnels won’t be able to shield its fighters as the fighting intensifies.  

Earlier in the day, IDF troops killed several Hamas fighters in a tunnel.  “In the Hamas tunnels, the troops planted explosives… we identified the terrorists with a camera, and killed several terrorists in this incident,” Hagari said in a Thursday press conference. 

He said senior Hamas officials choose to hide underground and use civilians as human shields.  

Hagari said the IDF has “new combat means” to kill Hamas operatives
in its tunnels. 

“We will enter, plant explosives in locations we know terrorists frequent, and will wait for the right moment to kill them underground,” he said. “The terrorists won’t be safe underground.”

A top Hamas official
has called for violence against the allies of Israel, specifically attacking American and British “interests” as a price for the deaths of Gaza citizens. 

“When (Secretary of State Antony) Blinken is justifying the killing of women and children, the sons of our nation should say to him: You are the enemy, just like (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu, and you must pay the price, just like Netanyahu,” Sami Abu Zuhri, the head of the political department of Hamas abroad, said during a recent broadcast.  

Zuhri made his comments, which the Middle East
Media Research Institute (MEMRI) translated, on Al-Aqsa TV on Dec. 5, a few days after the end of the temporary pause that allowed Hamas and Israel to exchange hostages and prisoners, respectively.  

Hamas runs the Al-Aqsa TV network in the Gaza Strip, playing news and propaganda throughout the day. 

Read the full article from Peter Aitken.

The Biden administration is pushing back on media reports that National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel’s “high-intensity” military operations in Gaza needs to end within weeks, not months. 

Sullivan didn’t attach any specific timeline during the conversations with Israeli officials, Fox News has learned. 

Officials said the Biden administration has not been telling Israel how to conduct its war against Hamas. Instead, it has been raising questions and offering advice. 

Axios reported that Sullivan told the Israelis the high-intensity phase of the war needs to end in a meeting with Netanyahu and two cabinet officials. 

The White House feels that moving to lower intensity operations will reduce civilian casualties and allow more humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza, the report said. 

“National Security Adviser Sullivan made clear in all meetings that the high intensity kinetic campaign needed to transition to the next lower intensity phase in a matter of weeks not months. [This is not] a deadline and we understand the campaign must and will continue, but in a lower intensity manner,” a senior U.S. official reportedly told Axios.

President Biden’s administration is pushing Israel to dramatically scale back its war against Hamas in Gaza by the end of the year, according to a new report.

According to the New York Times, the U.S. has asked that Israel turn to a more targeted strategy using Israeli special operations units to bring down Hamas leaders and rescue hostages. It would signal an end to the large-scale airstrikes and artillery barrages that have played the leading role in Israel’s war thus far.

The report comes just after Biden himself criticized
Israel’s “indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza this week. He has also divided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the future of Gaza following the war. Biden has called for a two-state solution, while Netanyahu has warned that Israel will have to take control over the region for a significant period following the end of its campaign.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was in Israel on Thursday, and Israeli officials told him that they do not expect the war to conclude for many months.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said Thursday that the Biden administration must now “walk the walk” when it comes to implementing a two-state solution following the end of the Israel-Hamas war.

“Now that the United States has talked the talk, we want Washington to walk the walk, meaning that we need specific measures to implement the two-state solution, not only believe in the two-state solution,” he told the Associated Press in an interview.

President Biden in November called for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians in the Middle East, but one that is “free from Hamas.”

“As we strive for peace, Gaza and the West Bank should be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority, as we all work toward a two-state solution,” the president added in an op-ed published by The Washington Post.

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report

Read the full article by Fox News’ Adam Sabes

A Republican-led effort to strip Harvard and other higher education institutions of federal funding is gaining steam, as calls grow in Congress to “defund” any institutions that allow antisemitism on campus. 

Less than two weeks after the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel,
a group of GOP senators, led by Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.), introduced legislation that would rescind federal education funding for colleges and universities that allow “violent antisemitism,” pointing directly to Harvard’s silence at the time after more than 30 student organizations at the school blamed Israel for Hamas’s attack on its civilians.

Now, following Harvard President Claudine Gay’s and other Ivy League presidents’ disastrous testimony before the House, lawmakers in the lower chamber are launching their own efforts to prevent tax dollars from going to institutions that allow antisemitism.

Read the full article by Fox News’ Breck Dumas

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired an anti-ship missile at a Danish trading vessel in the Red Sea on Thursday.

The attack, which missed the ship, marks at least the third attempted missile strike by the Houthis since Wednesday. The Maersk Gibraltar is owned by a Danish trading group, which stated that no injuries were reported in the incident.

A U.S. defense official also reportedly told AFP that “we have indications that a missile was fired at the Maersk Gibraltar from a Huthi-controlled area of Yemen, and that it hit the water and missed the ship.”

A Turkish lawmaker who suffered a heart attack on the floor of parliament immediately after he gave a speech saying Israel would “not be able to escape the wrath of God” for its war in Gaza, has died.

Hasan Bitmez, 53, a member of parliament from the Islamist Saadet Partisi, or Felicity Party, died Thursday at the Ankara City Hospital, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced. The death came days after Bitmez collapsed at the Turkish Grand National Assembly on Tuesday immediately after criticizing the Turkish government’s policy regarding the Israel-Hamas war.

In a translated version of his speech on Tuesday, Bitmez said, “Even if history remains silent, the truth will not remain silent. They think that if they get rid of us, there will be no problem. However, if you get rid of us, you will not be able to escape the torment of conscience. Even if you escape the torment of history, you will not be able to escape the wrath of God.”

He then turned and fainted, hitting his head on what appeared to be a marble floor, prompting fellow legislators in the hall to assist him. Bitmez was then rushed to the hospital in “extremely serious and critical” condition. He later died.

Read the full article from Fox News’ Lawrence Richard

Four men accused of plotting a series of terrorist attacks across Europe are members of the Hamas terrorist organization, German prosecutors alleged Thursday.

Dutch national Nazih R was arrested by police in Rotterdam, while Lebanon-born Abdelhamid Al A and Ibrahim El-R, as well as Egyptian national Mohamed B, were arrested in Berlin, officials said. Each of the four men are alleged to have close ties to leaders of Hamas’ military.

“Following the terrible attacks by Hamas on the Israeli population, attacks on Jews in Jewish institutions have also increased in our country in recent weeks,” German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said in a statement. “We must therefore do everything we can to ensure that Jews in our country do not have to fear for their safety again.”

The allegations comes days after Hamas officials called for violence against Americans and U.K. residents in response to ongoing support for Israel’s war in Gaza.

Reuters contributed to this report

NAACP President Derrick Johnson defended embattled Harvard President Claudine Gay, claiming “attacks on her leadership are nothing more than political theatrics advancing a White supremacist agenda.”

Gay has come under fire
in recent weeks for both backlash to controversial comments about antisemitism and accusations of plagiarism. Harvard University’s highest governing body is standing by her, although it recently admitted a probe found “instances of inadequate citation” in her academic writings. 

During congressional testimony last week, Gay was repeatedly asked if calling for the genocide of Jews was against Harvard policy. She didn’t give a clear answer and repeatedly said it depended on the “context.” Following intense backlash, she issued a statement clarifying that the university has a staunch position against calls for violence against the Jewish community. 

Johnson took to social media to express his support for Gay.

“Enough is enough,” he wrote on X. “Harvard President Claudine Gay is a distinguished scholar and professor with decades of service in higher education. The recent attacks on her leadership are nothing more than political theatrics advancing a White supremacist agenda.”

Read the full article by Fox News’ Brian flood

Israeli Defense Forces are in their third day of massive counterterrorism operation in the West Bank on Thursday.

IDF forces have searched more than 400 buildings, seizing weapons and bomb-making materials throughout the city of Jenin, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. Militants in the West Bank have ramped up their own operations amid Israel’s war in Gaza, forcing the IDF to split its attention.

The circumstances have lead Israel to escalate its tactics in the region. The IDF had for decades limited itself only to ground operations in the West Bank, but no airstrikes and drone attacks have become relatively common alongisde ground raids, according to the WSJ.

Palestinian health authorities in the region say at least 12 people have been killed in the attacks, though they did not clarify whether the individuals were affiliated with terrorist organizations.

Fox News’ Trey Yingst says Israel has informed President Biden’s administration that it expected the war in Gaza to go on “more than several months.”

Israeli officials made the announcement during a visit from National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Recent days have revealed a rift between the White House and Israel when it comes to the Gaza war, with Biden urging stronger efforts to spare civilian lives in Gaza. Biden has also called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to consider a two-state solution.

“It is not easy to destroy them. It will require a long period of time – it will last more than several months, but we will win and we will destroy them [Hamas]. So thank you once again for coming to Israel, for helping us and for supporting us, and I look forward to our meeting,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Sullivan.

Netanyahu has said that Israel will take control over Gaza for a significant period of time following the war, something Biden has said would be a mistake.

Israel dropped leaflets over Gaza offering cash rewards amounting to $1 million for information leading to the capture of Hamas’ top leadership in the region on Thursday.

The top target on the list is Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who awards $400,000, followed by his brother, Muhammed at $300,000. Muhammed commands Hamas forces in southern Gaza. The leaflet also offers $200,000 for Rafaa Salameh, who commands the Khan Yunis Battalion, and $100,000 for Mohammed Deif, Hamas’ general military commander, according to the Tazpit Press Service.

Israeli forces have been working to track Sinwar and his cohorts for weeks. They surrounded his home in southern Gaza earlier in December, but he is believed to have taken shelter somewhere in the labyrinth of Hamas tunnels beneath Khan Younis, the largest city in southern Gaza.

Senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot delivered an update on Israeli casualties in Gaza on Thursday after the deadliest day of the conflict for the IDF.

Palkot says nine Israeli soldiers were killed in an ambush attack by Hamas terrorists in Gaza City. Israel has been operating in Gaza City for weeks, but Hamas remains an active threat in the area. The IDF has lost a total of 116 soldiers in the war so far, 20 of whom were killed by friendly fire or accidents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=/7CsPmeXeh5A

Anti-Israel protesers shut down a freeway in Los Angeles, demanding that a cease-fire be implemented in Gaza.

The protesters blocked the freeway for roughly an hour before police arrived and dispersed them. Police say they detained roughly 75 people. Local media reported that a number of motorists had been fighting with the protesters before police arrived.

A senior Hamas official called for violence against the U.S. and U.K. in a televised interview last week, saying American officials are “the enemy.”

Sami Abu Zuhri, the head of Hamas’ political department, said the U.S. and its allies deserve to “pay the price” for supporting Israel’s war in Gaza. He specifically named Secretary of State Tony Blinken, comparing the diplomat to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“When Blinken is justifying the killing of women and children, the sons of our nation should say to him: You are the enemy, just like Netanyahu, and you must pay the price, just like Netanyahu. We should keep this in mind,” Zuhri said.

“So if our nation thinks that the heroic acts of Al-Qassam Brigades release it from its responsibility – that is a misconception and a mistaken assessment that should be discarded. The Al-Qassam Brigades are doing what they must do, and the people of Gaza are as steadfast as they must be,” he continued.

“Now it is our nation’s turn to pressure the Americans to stop this war. We need violent acts against American and British interests everywhere, as well as the interests of all the countries that support the occupation. They must pay a price for the blood of our women and children who are being killed in cold blood in the streets of Gaza. They must pay a price so that they know that Gaza is not alone, and that when they gave the order to kill, they should have been prepared to pay the necessary price.”

Israeli forces arrested dozens of Hamas terrorists they say were sheltering inside a hospital in Gaza on Thursday.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari
shared photos and footage of the militants being paraded out of the Kamal Adwan Hospital with their hands raised. Hagari said the over 70 militants surrendered their weapons to Israeli forces and were transfered for field interrogation.

Iran is warning Thursday that a proposed U.S.-backed task force to protect ships from being attacked in the Red Sea would cause “extraordinary problems” in the region. 

The comments from Iran’s Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani — published by the Iranian Student News Agency, according to Reuters — come after a U.S. defense official said the Navy destroyer USS Mason shot down a Houthi drone coming out of Yemen on Wednesday. 

“If they make such an irrational move, they will be faced with extraordinary problems,” Ashtiani was quoted as saying. “Nobody can make a move in a region where we have predominance.” 

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said earlier this week that “the actions that we’ve seen from these Houthi forces are disturbing [and] rising” following a missile attack on a Norwegian commercial tanker in the Red Sea on Monday. 

“They’re dangerous and clearly a flagrant violation of international law. And so this is an international problem that requires an international solution. We do continue to consult closely with our international allies and partners on implementing a maritime task force,” Ryder said during a press briefing. 

Read the full article by Fox News Greg Norman

The U.S. is seeking to set up the “broadest possible” coalition to protect trade vessels traversing the Red Sea from Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The Houthi terrorist organization has launched missiles and carried out hijack operations against severl trade vessles near the coast of Yemen in recent weeks. The group has declared the actions in solidarity with Hamas and the Palestinian people.

U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking told Reuters the U.S. wanted the multi-national coalition to send “an important signal by the international community that Houthi threats to international shipping won’t be tolerated.”

Just this week, Houthis shot two anti-ship missiles at a civilian vessel and launched skiffs in an apparent hijack attempt. The USS Mason also shot down a one-way attack drone on Wednesday.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on his vow to continue the war against Hamas regardless of the cost and of international pressure.

Netanyahu made the comments late Wednesday after the single most deadly day in the war for Israeli military members. The IDF lost nine soliders to a Hamas ambush in Gaza City on Wednesday, and the U.S. has signaled a rift over Israel’s tactics in the war and plans for the post-war governance of Gaza.

“We are continuing until the end, there is no question,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “I say this even given the great pain and the international pressure. Nothing will stop us.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Major universities need to do more than demand their presidents resign to combat antisemitism, according to one academic.

Rabbi Dr. Morris Schwartz, the International Director of the Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning, spoke to Fox News Digital regarding the resignation of University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill and its implications.

“I’m not surprised in the end that she needed to resign. And there was a lot of pressure on her. A lot of people were very disappointed with the way that she, not only herself but the others as well, spoke in the congressional hearing,” Schwartz said.

He added, “What I was more concerned about is what goes on in a classroom and not so much about who is the exact administrator. There are times when leadership needs to step down because they can’t be leaders anymore, because there is too much negative spin around that person, too many negative feelings around that person, and they need to step down. But I don’t know that that’s really going to, in the end, be the determining factor that makes a difference in what goes on at the University of Pennsylvania or any of the other schools, for that matter.”

Magill faced heat after she and two other college presidents did not clarify whether calls for the genocide of Jews would violate their schools’ codes of conduct at a Congressional hearing. Many have since applauded Magill’s resignation and called for the others to do the same.

Read the full article by Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick

Israel cancelled negotiations for a second round of hostage and prisoner exchanges in Qatar on Thursday.

The Israeli withdrawal
comes as President Biden is sending his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, to Israel. The U.S. and Israel have shown a public divide over how to prosecute the war against Hamas and over how to govern Gaza following the conflict.

Harvard’s embattled president Claudine Gay attended a menorah lighting ceremony at the university
on Wednesday amid resounding calls to resign over antisemitism demonstrations on campus and a lackluster testimony to Congress on the topic.

Approximately 100 students attended the daily lighting ceremony, which was organized by the Harvard Chabad organization. Gay, alongside Professor Jeff Bussgang, was spotted lighting the first candle.

In an Instagram post, the Harvard Chabad announced Gay’s presence at the lighting, which led to her being blasted in the comment section.

“When someone asks for a definition of the word, ‘performative,’ we can show them this!” one person wrote.

“What a joke,” another wrote. “Absolutely disgraceful.”

“Resign,” others commented.

Gay’s appearance came the day after Harvard’s highest governing body announced that they would not be terminating her.

Read the full article by Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten

Israel’s embassy in Washington, D.C., is raising awareness for the more than 130 hostages being held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza by lighting menorahs in their honor during Hanukkah.

“Over 130 hostages remain captive in Gaza,” the embassy wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “This Hanukkah, we are going to #BeTheLight for those who can’t light a menorah this year.”

In the post, pictures of the hostages could be seen on a wall behind multiple menorahs with lit candles.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will meet top Israeli officials on Thursday amid an apparent rift between the two countries.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will, tomorrow […] at the Kirya in Tel Aviv, meet with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who is arriving in Israel tomorrow as the guest of National Security Council Director and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi,” the statement read.

“US National Security Adviser Sullivan will also meet with President Isaac Herzog, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Minister Benny Gantz and the members of the War Cabinet,” the press release added.

Sullivan’s visit comes after the U.S. and Israel appeared to divide on plans for the post-war governance of Gaza this week.

Fox News Digital’s Dana Karni and Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.