At least 33 Americans killed in Israel-Hamas war, secretary of state tells UN

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported early Wednesday morning that Hamas terrorists attempted to invade Israel by sea on Tuesday.

"Hamas terrorists attempting to infiltrate Israeli territory by sea were identified by naval forces in southern Israel earlier today," the IDF explained in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "The terrorists were thwarted and the tunnel was struck, in addition to a weapons warehouse used by the terrorists in Gaza."

The IDF later updated the post, explaining that "Hamas terrorists were found exiting a tunnel on the Gaza coast, attempting to infiltrate southern Israel via sea."

Fox News' Trey Yingst reported from Israel Wednesday at noon local time that small arms fire took place overnight near the beach of Zikim, which sits between Israel and Gaza, to which the Israeli military responded by firing flares.

Two Hamas militants were killed during the infiltration attempt, Yingst reported, adding that the terrorist group has a "frogman unit" made up of trained scuba divers who attempt to access Israeli territory from the Mediterranean Sea.

"This just gives you a sense of the different ways Hamas is trying to target Israel," Yingst said.

Hamas has attempted to infiltrate Israel by sea before, Yingst said, and past videos have shown Israel's navy responding to the attack by firing into the water and killing any militants in it.

"It was absolutely a suicide mission. The Israelis have locked down the beach, the sea. They have naval ships off the coast of Gaza and Israel. They've got infantry troops along the northern part of the Gaza Strip," Yingst explained, adding that the attempt didn't "make sense."

Fox News Digital's Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.

Victor Marx, a Marine veteran who founded Christian nonprofit "All Things Possible," which ministers to women and children who have experienced trauma worldwide, said he was told it's too dangerous to visit the children in Gaza during his ministry's trip to Israel.

All Things Possible is currently in Israel helping families access food and shelter amid the Israel-Hamas war. They also brought 1,000 Lion and Lamb stuffed animals to comfort children affected by the conflict. The toys are programmed in multiple languages and come with music, Bible verses and prayers that Marx said "are specifically designed to lower anxiety for kids who are suffering."

Marx wanted to travel to Gaza to give these same gifts to the Palestinian children who are also suffering, but said he was told they would be kidnapped or killed by terrorists if they visited the area.

"And I thought to myself, you're telling me that they would rather hate what they perceive as their enemy than love their children and get them help? That really shows you how absolutely backwards this is," Marx told Fox News Digital.

His group has worked in some of the most dangerous places in the world, including Syria and Iraq, and has even helped children of ISIS.

"[Children] are often the unintended victims of physical violence and intense trauma. We go into the most dangerous places in the world to reach them," Marx's website reads.

Fox News Digital's Kristine Parks contributed to this report.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre denounced antisemitism on Tuesday after she was slammed for answering a question about President Biden's "level of concern" surrounding hate against Jews by condemning anti-Muslim behavior.

Jean-Pierre began Tuesday's press briefing with National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby by clearing up her highly criticized answer to the antisemitism question.

"All right, I want to make something clear at the top, because I understand how important moral clarity is, especially at this time. So, when Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or their identity, when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred, that is antisemitism, and that is unacceptable. There is no place for antisemitism. Full stop. Period. 

"This is important to the President. It’s important to me personally and to everyone in the administration.

"Following the Hamas terror attacks in Israel, which were the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust, the President has been consistent and clear: We must all do our part and forcefully — forcefully speak out against antisemitism, and we must ensure there is no place for hate in America — not against Jews, not against Muslims, not against Arab Americans, not against Palestinian Americans, not against anyone."

Jean-Pierre also told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement Tuesday that she misheard the question, writing that she has "blasted the repulsive increase" in antisemitic remarks and acts following Hamas' attack.

"I appreciate the chance to address this. Yes, I did mishear the question. As I have footstomped many times from the podium and on the air, antisemitism is an abomination that this President has fought against his entire life; and I feel strongly about that work," she wrote. "That’s why, in the briefing room, I have blasted the repulsive increase in antisemitic rhetoric, conspiracy theories, and hate crimes in our nation, calling out that, tragically, this is a rising threat. And it’s a threat the President is taking concrete action every day to fight."

Fox News Digital's Brian Flood contributed to this report.

Turning Point USA staffer Peter Christos joined Laura Ingraham on "The Ingraham Angle" Tuesday evening after he was attacked by a pro-Palestinian mob in Skokie, Illinois, on Sunday.

"The next thing I knew, I was punched in the back of the head, pushed into bushes, and then punched repeatedly, kicked in the head, and hit with a flagpole," Christos said. "Thankfully there was a police officer there to help me get to safety, but the overall situation was very, very scary."

Christos said the attack left him with bruising on his hands and back, and a concussion.

The Israeli Air Force said Wednesday morning it conducted two separate airstrikes overnight, one in West Bank and another in Syria.

An airstrike took place in Syria in response to two rockets that were fired into Israel, Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson reported from the Jewish State. Military infrastructure and Syrian army positions for launching mortar bombs were targeted in the aerial attack, the IAF said.

The Jenin refugee camp inside the West Bank was also hit by an airstrike after "armed terrorists shot and threw explosives at our forces" during an activity, the IAF said.

"A manned aircraft remotely attacked the terrorists to remove the danger," the branch wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in Hebrew. "Vulnerabilities have been detected."

Both operations were also made public on the IAF's X account.

A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll conducted online from Oct. 18 through Oct. 19 found a majority of American voters back Israel over Hamas, but college-age students are narrowing the gap.

When asked if they sided with Israel or Hamas more in the ongoing conflict, 95% of voters ages 65 and older chose Israel while 52% of voters in the 18-24 age range chose the Jewish State and the remaining 48% chose Hamas.

The average percentage of support for Israel over Hamas from the 25-64 age range was 82%.

Mark Penn, former Clinton adviser and chairman of the Harris Poll, said the "enormous" gap was indicative of a generational divide.

"When I probed deeper, wow! Are these college-age kids misinformed? Forty-five percent believe, you know, that Israel bombed the hospital. Most believe Iran is not behind everything," he said Tuesday on "The Story." "They are in another world when it comes to information far removed from reality."

The poll was conducted among 2,116 registered voters and held a margin of error of +/- 2%. 

Fox News' Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.

A reference to Iran was omitted from the U.S.-sponsored draft resolution that was expected to be voted on by the United Nations Security Council, Fox News has learned.

The first draft resolution, which was obtained by Fox News Digital, said that "Iran must cease the export of all arms and related matériel to armed militias and terrorist groups threatening peace and security across the region, including Hamas ..."

The latest version did not have any references to Iran. It only "[u]rges Member States to intensify their efforts to suppress the financing of terrorism, including by restricting financing of Hamas through applicable national-level authorities, in accordance with international law and consistent with Resolution 2482 (2019)."

A spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations told Fox News Digital that Russia was the cause for the omission.

"Regarding the U.N. resolution, Russia's mission in New York insisted that references to Iran be removed," the statement read. "I suggest reaching out to the Russians to ask why they made those demands."

Click here to read more

Fox News Digital's Kyle Morris contributed to this report.

The Pentagon is in the planning stages of sending Iron Dome missile defense systems and has positioned F-16 fighter jets as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continues battling with Hamas terrorists.

A U.S. Department of Defense official confirmed the latest development to Fox News.

"The U.S. will be flowing additional Iron Dome support to Israel," the defense official said. "As a result, the Department of Defense is currently engaged in planning to support the provision of U.S. Iron Dome batteries to Israel."

"In addition to the capabilities that we've already announced, I can also confirm that the New Jersey Air National Guard's 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived within U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility today with additional F-16 fighting Falcon Squadron bolstering U.S. posture to deter further aggression in the region," a Pentagon official added.

Hamas terrorists have fired 3,000 rockets at Israel since October 7. According to the IDF, Israel's Iron Dome neutralized around 90% of the threats.

The system was first used in 2011. It can detect incoming projectiles from around 40 miles away.

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

American officials say that 24 U.S. service members were injured by attacks in the Middle East last week.

A spokesperson for the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) told Fox News that the attacks were conducted with drones and rockets.

A drone attack at the al-Tanf garrison in Syria injured 20 American personnel on October 18. The same day, 4 other service members were wounded at the al-Asad base in Iraq.

According to the spokesperson, all affected service members have returned to duty. Some of the personnel may have follow-up appointments for additional treatment.

Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report.

Hundreds of pro-Israel demonstrators gathered in Boston Common on Monday evening amid the war between Hamas and Israel.

Many of the protestors objected to the New York Times' coverage of an airstrike at a Gaza hospital on October 17. The report claimed that hundreds were killed by an Israeli airstrike, based off of information from Hamas officials.

Israeli and American intelligence later found that Israel was not responsible for the incident. A rocket fired by Iran-backed terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad misfired and crashed.

A protestor named Lia, who hails from Israel, told Fox News that the article made Jews less safe.

"It’s anywhere from adults to kids in schools who later take this false information and use it to attack innocent Israelis just because they read some fake article," she said. "People are being harassed and abused because of it."

Another Israeli named Tamir said that the reports endangers Jews across the world.

"I can feel people being hostile towards us," he said.

Fox News Digital's Kassy Dillon contributed to this report.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is working with the chancellor of the Sunshine State's university system to crack down on pro-Hamas sentiment at universities.

Ray Rodrigues, chancellor of the State University System of Florida, recently wrote a letter to Florida state universities condemning the terrorist attacks against Israel, which began on October 7.

"During a holy Jewish holiday, the recognized terrorist organization, Hamas, launched an unprovoked attack on Israel – among those killed were babies, women, and elderly," Rodrigues wrote. "To date, approximately 1,400 Israelis have been killed, including 31 American citizens. Governor DeSantis, our State University System and the Florida College System have condemned these attacks."

The letter added that it would be a "felony under Florida law to knowingly provide material support … to a designated foreign terrorist organization." Rodrigues referenced that at least two universities in the Florida system had students tied to National Students for Justice in Palestine, which called the Hamas attacks "the resistance."

"Based on the National SJP’s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated," the letter said. "These two student chapters may form another organization that complies with Florida state statutes and university policies."

"The two institutions should grant these two chapters a waiver for the fall deadlines, should reapplication take place," Rodrigues added.

Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

U.S. officials announced on Tuesday that American troops in the Middle East have been attacked 14 times in the last week.

The attacks were carried out with rockets and one-way drones. U.S. Department of Defense spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder explained that, between October 17 and 24, American troops in Iraq were attacked 10 times.

During the same time frame, U.S. troops in Syria were attacked three times.

At a Monday briefing, a senior defense official said that they expected to see a "significant escalation" of attacks against American troops due to the war.

"I think it’s fair to say when you see this uptick in activity in attacks by many of these groups, there’s Iranian fingerprints all over it," the defense official explained. 

Two U.S. defense officials confirmed later on Tuesday that Iran proxy forces fired a rocket at Iraq's Ain al-Asad air base, which houses American troops.

No injuries or damages or reported from the rocket, which was intercepted.

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

President Biden discussed the Israel-Hamas war over the phone with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, as the leaders agreed to try to prevent the escalation of the conflict.

"The two leaders agreed on pursuing broader diplomatic efforts to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding," a statement from the White House read. "They welcomed the delivery of humanitarian assistance from Egypt into Gaza and recognized that much more is needed for civilians to have sustained access to food, water, and medical assistance."

The statement also acknowledged the $100 million donation to support humanitarian efforts on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which is headquartered in Saudi Arabia.

Biden and the Crown Prince also advocated for the immediate release of hostages that were taken by Hamas into Gaza.

"They also affirmed the importance of working towards a sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians as soon as the crisis subsides, building on the work that was already underway between Saudi Arabia and the United States over recent months," the statement added. "They agreed to remain in close coordination directly and through their teams over the coming period."

Several Hamas terrorists attempted to infiltrate Israel from the Gaza Strip by sea and were killed by Israeli Navy forces, the IDF said.

At least six Hamas terrorists were killed when Israeli fighter jets responded to a diver squad attempted to enter Israel by Zekim beach, sources tell Fox News. 

Israeli forces have struck more than 400 terrorist targets in the past 24 hours, the military said Tuesday.

As part of its "wide-scale operation" to dismantle Hamas' capabilities, the IDF said the targets struck include: Hamas gunmen setting up to fire rockets in Israel's direction, an operational tunnel shaft allowing Israel to be infiltrated through the sea, and Hamas command centers and staging armaments in Mosques.

The focus continues to be on eliminating Hamas operatives and "weapons storage sites, underground terrorist tunnels, command centers, observation posts and more," the IDF said in its daily recap.

The force also said it will continue operating with the safety of innocent civilians in mind.

Fox News' Elizabeth Pritchett and Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this update.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that the White House believes a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war will only benefit the terrorists.

"We're going to continue to make sure Israel has the tolls and the capabilities that they need to defend themselves," Kirby told reporters. "We're going to continue to try to get hostages and people out of Gaza appropriately. And I think you've heard us say, a ceasefire right now really only benefits Hamas." 

The Biden administration has stood by Israel as the United Nations and other foreign leaders have called for the Jewish state to stop its bombardment of the Gaza Strip and allow humanitarian aid to reach the besieged Palestinians. Israel has said its airstrikes in Gaza are aimed at legitimate military targets and that Hamas terrorists are using civilians as human shields. 

On whether Israel will soon begin an anticipated ground invasion of Gaza to eradicate Hamas, Kirby said, "that is a question for the Israeli Defense Forces." 

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., called out White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre over her "weak answer" to a rise in antisemitism in the United States amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On Monday, Jean-Pierre said she had not seen any "credible threats" when asked about the Biden administration's "level of concern" regarding potential attacks on Jewish Americans.

"Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks and certainly President Biden understands that many of our Muslim, Arab-American and Palestinian-American loved ones and neighbors are worried about the hate being directed at their communities," she added.

Moskowitz would later criticize her comments on X.

"What a weak answer," he said. "And why are you looking in the book? What's the approved answer? The simple answer is yes, you are concerned about the rise of antisemitism. Of course, we are also worried about hatred against Muslim Americans. Must do better."

After backlash, Jean-Pierre would later clarify her comments made during the White House press briefing.

"To be clear: the President and our team are very concerned about a rise in antisemitism, especially after the horrific Hamas terrorist attack in Israel," she wrote.

Fox News' Nikolas Lanum contributed to this update.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh acknowledged Tuesday there is a "direct connection" between Iran and the Islamist terror group Hamas.

During an interview on "America's Newsroom," Singh said the U.S. military is focused on "sending a clear message to Iran" by positioning forces near the Middle East to make sure that "Israel has what it needs in their fight right now." 

She did not confirm reports that U.S. officials have pressured Israel to delay a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. "The IDF is one of the most capable militaries in the world. We are providing our support. We are providing our assistance. It's really up to them to decide when they they move forward with any type of incursion," said Singh.

Pressed on whether Iran is behind several drone and missile attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East, Singh said there is "no question" that Iran is supporting proxy groups that have attacked American forces. 

"I will reiterate, we are one of the most lethal fighting forces the world has ever seen. Iran knows that. And while they continue to launch these attacks on our U.S. forces, it is our decision at our time when we choose to respond," said Singh. 

And asked about Iran's role in the Israel-Hamas war, she stated, "there is a direct connection between Israel and Hamas." 

"How much Iran knew about the attack that Hamas was going to launch on October 7th, I think we're still doing our own analysis of that," Singh said. "But there is no question there is a clear thread between the two. We know that Iran continues to train, equip, financially support Hamas in its endeavors in Gaza. And so I think that's certainly a clear link to draw there." 

The Israeli military said Tuesday that three Hamas deputy commanders were killed by precision airstrikes inside the Gaza Strip. 

The strikes show Israel Defense Forces are prioritizing Hamas senior leadership as the military bombards Gaza ahead of an expected ground invasion to eradicate the terrorist group. 

“During the night, IDF aircraft also attacked operational headquarters used by operatives of the terrorist organization Hamas and assembly points of the terrorist organization located inside mosques,” IDF said in a post on X. 

The Hamas deputy commander of the Nusirat battalion, the deputy commander of the Shati battalion and the deputy commander of the Alfurkan battalion were killed in the strikes, the IDF said.

IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said earlier that in the past day the IDF attacked over 400 military targets in the Gaza Strip, targeting dozens of Hamas operatives who were preparing to fire rockets at Israel. 

Hagari said IDF also attacked an operational tunnel shaft used by Hamas to get access to the Mediterranean coast. 

French President Emmanuel Macron met with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday and called for the international coalition initially built to fight against ISIS to now target Hamas.

The U.S.-led coalition has fought ISIS in the Middle East for years, and Macron did not offer details about how the coalition could be involved in Israel's retaliatory war against Hamas. Israel has appeared poised for a ground invasion of Gaza for more than a week.

"France is ready for the international coalition against Daesh in which we are taking part for operations in Iraq and Syria to also fight against Hamas," he told reporters, using another term used for ISIS.

He added that the fight against Hamas "must be without mercy but not without rules."

Netanyahu has called for international support for the war against Hamas, but Israel has not requested any foreign boots on the ground. The U.S. has devoted two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Eastern Mediterranean as a deterrent for Iran, Hezbollah or other regional powers from joining the war against Israel.

Both Israeli and U.S. officials have suggested that U.S. forces would intervene should Iran or its proxy, Hezbollah, join the war.

Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this update.