As President Joe Biden and Congressional Republicans debate the spending package meant to provide aid to Israel and Ukraine, a new Fox News survey finds voters divided over what role the U.S. should play related to the wars in the two countries.
For Israel, 30% think the U.S. supports it too much, while 27% say it is not enough. The largest number, 38%, say U.S. support is about right.
There is a 6-point increase since November in those saying the U.S. is not supportive enough and that’s driven entirely by Republicans (+11 points).
Overall, a majority of 61% supports the Israelis, yet that’s down from 66% in November and 68% in October, at the outset of the war.
That decline in support can be mostly attributed to Democrats (-8 points), nonwhite voters (-8), and women (-6). Just under half of Democrats (48%) support the Israelis, while a third (33%) support the Palestinians. Just over three-quarters (76%) of Republicans support Israelis.
Still, the decrease does not translate into support for the Palestinians, as the 23% who side more with them has held steady compared to a month ago. Instead, more are unsure (6%) or don’t back either side (10%).
Read the full poll summary by Fox News’ Victoria Balara
Israel’s most wanted: ‘Butcher of Khan Younis,’ other Hamas terrorists now in IDF’s sights
Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ top leader in Gaza, his younger brother, Muhammed, and two other senior military commanders of the Iranian-backed Islamist terror group – Rafa’a Salameh and Mohammad Deif – are considered to be the worst killers from the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis.
All are now the most wanted terrorists by Israel.
As the IDF gears up
for what could be its fiercest battle yet against Hamas, the army dropped leaflets over Gaza’s second most populous city on Thursday, calling on residents of the Hamas stronghold to share any information about the whereabouts of the four men and offering a substantial financial reward – some $1 million in total – for anyone brave enough to come forward.
All four terrorists were born and raised in Khan Younis, a city about two miles east of the Mediterranean Sea, and Sinwar, who already has the nickname “the Butcher of Khan Younis,” for his violent and cruel torture methods against his enemies, both Israeli and Palestinian, is widely seen as the mastermind of the massacre of Israeli civilians carried out by thousands of Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, sparking the current war.
Read the full article by Fox News’ Ruth Marks Eglash
IDF soldier wounded in West Bank stabbing attack
An Israeli soldier was moderately wounded in a stabbing attack by an unidentified terrorist on Sunday.
The stabbing took place near Ranthis Village in the West Bank, which has been a hotbed of pro-Hamas activity since Israel began its retaliatory campaign in Gaza. IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari says the soldier opened fire at the attacker after being wounded, but missed.
Other IDF personnel chased down the assailant, however, and apprehended him.
“The IDF forces gave the soldier initial medical treatment [at the scene] and he was referred for medical treatment at a hospital. His family was informed,” Hagari said.
So far, at least 120 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the country’s war against Hamas. Of those, at least 20 have come as the result of friendly fire or accidents, according to the IDF.
IDF uncovers largest-ever Hamas ‘terror tunnel’ meters from Gaza-Israel border
Israeli Defense Forces say they uncovered the largest Hamas “terror tunnel” ever discovered this weekend.
The IDF says the tunnel system reaches as deep as 50 meters and lies just 400 meters away from the Erez Crossing, the largest crossing area between Israel and Gaza. IDF troops are continuing to explore the tunnels, but they say the system of branching paths stretches well over 2.5 miles.
Hamas covered the system’s cronstruction with a massive tented area, preventing clear surveillance from Israeli aircraft prior to the Oct. 7 massacre. Israel highlighted footage showing Hamas terrorists blowing through the Erez crossing on the morning of the attack.
Israel says the project was overseen by Muhammad Sinwar, the brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
US CENTCOM commander meets with IDF leaders in Tel Aviv
U.S. CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla traveled to Israel this weekend to meet with IDF commanders in Tel Aviv ahead of a visit from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Kurilla met with IDF Chief of the General Staff
Lieutenant General Hertzi Halevi; Israeli Security Agency Director.Ronen Bar and other senior military officials. The visit comes as President Biden’s administration has encouraged Israel to adopt a new strategy in its war against Hamas.
“General Kurilla and the Israeli leaders discussed strategic matters, the current security situation, humanitarian assistance, and civilian harm mitigation efforts,” the Pentagon wrote in a statement.
Fox News’ Liz Friden contributed to this report
Israel details airstrikes, tank attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
Israeli Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari published footage of IDF air strikes and tank attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in Sunday.
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group, has repeatedly attacked Israel on its northern border since Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre.
“A plane and a combat helicopter of the Air Force attacked a number of terrorist infrastructures and a military structure of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the territory of Lebanon some time ago,” Hagari wrote, according to a translation.
“In addition, a remotely manned aircraft attacked a terrorist cell identified in Lebanese territory earlier today (Sunday). Also, an aircraft and a tank attacked weapons and observation equipment of the Hezbollah terrorist organization,” he added.
Iran ‘backs down’ when confronted with displays of American strength: Nathan Sales
Former ambassador-at-large Nathan Sales joined ‘Fox News Live’ to discuss the latest news emerging from the Israel-Hamas war as a U.S. warship was reported to have shot down 14 Houthi drones this weekend.
Sales argued that President Biden’s administration must “get serious” about detering Iran as its terrorist proxies have attacked U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria nearly 100 times since mid-October.
Prime Minister Netanyahu urges Israel to continue despite troops mistakenly killing hostages
Fox News foreign correspondent Trey Yingst joined ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to discuss how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is urging Israel to continue the war against Hamas after the IDF mistakenly killed 3 Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Yingst says there may come a “new phase” in the conflict in the New Year, with President Biden’s administration urging Israel to drastically roll back its airstrikes and artillery operations in Gaza after December.
Israeli military release footage of ‘children’s room’ linking to Hamas tunnel system
Israeli Defence Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari released footage showing IDF troops uncover
a Hamas tunnel system that linked to a children’s room in the basement of a Gaza home on Sunday.
“During activity in Jabalya, the Nahal Brigade located an operational tunnel shaft inside a children’s room in the basement of a building. This shaft included built-in stairs and was destroyed by the brigade’s engineering forces,” Hagari wrote.
Jewish Americans of all ages forced to ‘make a choice’ on embracing heritage amid antisemitism spike
There is a rise in antisemitism in America and worldwide after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 terrorist attack on innocent Israeli civilians and the Jewish nation’s retaliation.
Now, young American Jews have to choose whether to identify their heritage in public.
While many Jewish Americans have been galvanized by public antisemitism, it’s a different decision when it comes to young children.
A young Jewish woman from Seattle, who asked to remain anonymous, told Fox News Digital she wears a Star of David “every single day.” But since the attack, she and her husband have trepidation about allowing their daughters to identify as Jewish at school.
“My husband and I have chosen to keep an ‘I stand with Israel’ sign in our window, even though his parents, who are Israeli, have begged us to take it down because they’re terrified,” the woman said.
Read the full article by Fox News Houston Keene
Hamas is orchestrating plan to keep region entrenched in ‘never-ending cycle of bloodshed’: Hegseth
While the world was shaken by the attacks on October 7, 2023, Israelis and those in the region are no strangers to conflict with Hamas.
“This was a well-orchestrated plan devised over the course of years by the elected leaders of Gaza with the sole intention of keeping the region entrenched in a never ending cycle of bloodshed,” FOX News’ Pete Hegseth said in a trailer for FOX Nation’s “Battle in the Holy Land: Israel at War.”
The three-part series, now streaming on FOX Nation, not only explores the latest conflict between the waring states, it also unpacks the complex history and religious connections that have engulfed the region in conflict for centuries.
“You can’t understand the battle without first understanding the history and religious connections to this sacred land,” Hegseth said.
Read the full article by Fox News’ Madeline Coggins
Hamas’ brutality, cease-fire push was ‘part of their playbook from the start’: David Schoen
Former Trump attorney David Schoen says Western figures calling for a cease-fire in Gaza are “playing into Hamas’ hands.”
Schoen appeared on Fox News with host Mark Levin and argued that it was always Hamas’ plan to sue for an extended cease-fire after commiting its atrocities in Israel on October 7.
“This is part of their playbook from the start — attack with atrocities, rape, torture, murder, mutilation and then push for a cease-fire.”
Georgia teacher accused of threatening to behead Muslim girl for calling his Israeli flag offensive
A Georgia middle school teacher was arrested after allegedly threatening to cut off the head of a Muslim student who confronted him about an Israeli flag in his classroom.
Benjamin Reese, 51, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Warner Robbins Middle School, was arrested on Dec. 8 on charges of making terroristic threats and cruelty to children, jail records show. He was released on bond two days later, but bond conditions require him to stay away from the school and the student he is accused of threatening.
A girl approached Reese in a hallway and told him she found the Israeli flag in his classroom offensive because Israelis were killing Palestinians, according to an incident report. The student said Reese told her he was Jewish and has relatives in Israel, accused her of being antisemitic and began screaming threats toward her.
Several witnesses reported hearing Reese scream threats, including one where he said he would cut the girl’s head off.
“You motherf—ing piece of s—t! I’ll kick your a–! I should cut your motherf—ing head off!” he reportedly screamed.
Some students said they also heard Reese saying he would “slit her goddamn throat and drag her a– outside and cut her head off.”
When a deputy asked Reese if he threatened any students, he denied the allegations, the report said. He said he told a student who was offended by the flag that she was being antisemitic but denied saying anything racist to her.
Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report
Israel-Hamas war: Official says slain hostages were misidentified as uniformless Hamas terrorists
Israeli official Mark Regev appeared on “Fox News Live” on Saturday to discuss the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war, including the IDF’s accidental killing of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Regev, who serves as a senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said that the three hostages who were killed were “clear[ly]” misidentified as threats.
“We have to thoroughly get to the bottom of what happened because obviously we want to do our best that it will never be repeated,” Regev explained. “It’s clear that our forces misidentified these three individuals. They were identified as a threat, as Hamas terrorists.”
The Israeli official cited the fact that Hamas fighters tend not to wear uniforms as a possible reason why the hostages were mistaken for terrorists.
“Hamas terrorists don’t wear uniforms necessarily,” he said. “They routinely dress in civilian clothing. There have been numerous examples of them trying to trick our soldiers, speaking Hebrew and so forth.”
“And then in the height of battle and the pressure of combat, soldiers on the ground, obviously, as I said, misidentified them and tragically killed them,” Regev added.
Fox News’ Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report
Abhinav Thawait is a globe-trotting correspondent with a passion for international affairs. With a background in international relations, he offers a global perspective on the most pressing issues around the world. Abhinav’s curiosity takes his to the far corners of the earth, where he seeks to share untold stories and diverse viewpoints.
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