Biden trip ends with promise of humanitarian aid to Gaza, backs Israel over hospital blast

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."

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., 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.

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.

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 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.

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 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 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.