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Russian President Vladimir Putin entered Mongolia this week without being arrested by the International Criminal Court (ICC) — a major blow to the institution's legitimacy.

Putin arrived in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar for a state visit late Monday evening, when he was greeted by Mongolian Minister of Foreign Affairs Battsetseg Batmunkh and flanked by an honor guard.

Putin's visit is ostensibly to celebrate the 1939 victory over Japan at the Battle of Khalkhin by Soviet-Mongolian forces.

VLADIMIR PUTIN TO MAKE FIRST ICC MEMBER STATE VISIT SINCE ARREST WARRANT ISSUES FOR ALLEGED CHILD ABDUCTION

Putin will be spending four days in Mongolia meeting with national leaders. The attention to Putin’s latest trip derives from the fact that Mongolia is a member of the ICC, which in March 2023, issued an arrest warrant for Putin over alleged involvement in the abduction of Ukrainian children. 

Putin has carefully avoided visiting countries that are signatories of the Rome Statute, thus making them subject to ICC jurisdiction, until now.

PENCE URGES GOP TO UNITE BEHIND UKRAINE IN BID TO COUNTER CHINA, RUSSIA

Russia – along with other major nations such as the U.S., China, India and Israel – are not signatories and thus do not answer to the ICC, but any visit to a Rome Statute signatory should subject Putin to arrest.

The Kremlin has dismissed any speculation of Putin facing arrest during the trip, despite Mongolia's obligation to act.

"There are no worries, we have a great dialogue with our friends from Mongolia," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday, according to the Moscow Times. He added that "all aspects of the visit were carefully prepared."

In a statement, Ukraine referred to Putin as a war criminal and stressed that kidnapping children is just "one of the many crimes" that Putin has committed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. 

"These individuals are guilty of an aggressive war against Ukraine, atrocities against the Ukrainian people," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry wrote in a post on Telegram.  

"We call on the Mongolian authorities to execute the mandatory international arrest warrant and hand over Putin to the International Criminal Court in The Hague," the ministry added. 

Fox News Digital's Peter Aitken contributed to this report.

An ISIS leader in Syria has been captured by U.S. and coalition forces over his role in helping Islamic State terrorists following their escape from a top detention facility, defense officials said Monday as the U.S. ramps up its operations against ISIS.

Forces from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sunday captured Khaled Ahmed al-Dandal after he was found to have been aiding the terrorist organization in carrying out one of its chief objectives, to free detained militant fighters and revive ISIS. 

Al-Dandal, deemed by CENTCOM as an "ISIS facilitator," helped to aid five ISIS terrorists following their escape on Thursday from the Raqqah Detention Facility, though it is unclear if he also aided in securing their flight from the prison. 

US, IRAQ TEAM UP TO KILL 15 ISIS OPERATIVES IN EARLY MORNING RAID, US MILITARY SAYS

SDF fighters have recaptured two of the ISIS militants, including Imam Abdulwahed Akhwan, who is Russian, and Muhammad Noh Muhammad, a Libyan.

One other Russian, Timor Talbrken Abdash, and two Afghans, Shuab Muhammad Al-Abdli and Atal Khaled Zar, remain at large.

"Over 9,000 ISIS detainees remain in over 20 SDF detention facilities in Syria, a literal and figurative ‘ISIS Army’ in detention," CENTCOM Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement. "If a large number of these ISIS fighters escaped, it would pose an extreme danger to the region and beyond. 

"We will continue to work with the international community to repatriate these ISIS fighters to their countries of origin for final adjudication," he added. 

The news of the latest arrest came just four days after U.S. and Iraqi forces carried out a raid on ISIS leaders in Western Iraq on Aug. 29, when 15 ISIS terrorists were killed, according to CENTCOM.

The operation aimed to "disrupt and degrade ISIS' ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond," CENTCOM said in a post on X on Friday.

ISIS THREAT RISING IN SYRIA, IRAQ AS US MILITARY WARNS TERROR ATTACKS COULD DOUBLE IN 2024

"The ISIS element was armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive ‘suicide’ belts," the command added, noting no civilians were injured in the operation.

The U.S., in coordination with allied forces in the Middle East, have carried out some 200 operations against ISIS this year alone, including airstrikes and raids, Dr. Rebecca Grant, vice president of the Lexington Institute in Washington, D.C., told Fox News. 

"The ‘Defeat ISIS Mission’ has actually been very active because ISIS attacks in that region, around Iraq and Syria, have been on the upswing," she said, calling the operation a "real success."

Seven U.S. soldiers were injured in the operation, though the extent of their injuries remains unknown.

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"During the operation, five U.S. personnel were wounded. One of the wounded was evacuated for further treatment. Two additional U.S. personnel were injured from falls during the operation, with one also evacuated out of theater for follow-on care. All personnel are in stable condition," a U.S. defense official told Fox News Digital.

CENTCOM says it remains "committed" to working with coalition partners in the Middle East to "defeat" ISIS and ensure stability in the region.  

Liz Friden and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report. 

At least 10 migrants died on Tuesday after the vessel they were in capsized on its way across the Channel from France to Britain, La Voix du Nord newspaper reported, with a major operation underway to rescue over 50 people.

A French coast guard spokesperson earlier said 10 people were in a critical condition.

The British coast guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

UK, FRANCE SIGN AGREEMENT IN ATTEMPT TO STOP MIGRANTS FROM CROSSING ENGLISH CHANNEL

In a sign of the severity of the situation, CNews television said outgoing French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin was expected on site, near the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer, later in the afternoon.

Tackling illegal immigration has been a priority for both the British and French governments. More than 2,000 people have arrived in Britain on small boats over the past seven days, according to UK government figures.

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to work closer together to dismantle migrant smuggling routes.

The Channel is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes and currents are strong, making the crossing on small boats dangerous. In August, two people were found dead after a boat carrying migrants trying to cross the Channel ran into difficulties.

FIRST ON FOX - In a bid to urge fellow members of the Republican Party to unite behind Ukraine, former Vice President Mike Pence is hitting back on the GOP’s opposition to continued U.S. support for Kyiv in its war against Russia.

The number one reason Pence argues the GOP should back Ukraine is also the party's chief argument against continued support – China.

"China is openly assisting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine," Pence said in a Tuesday memo in coordination with the conservative nonprofit, Advancing American Freedoms. "Defeating Russia hamstrings China. 

HOUSE PASSES $60B UKRAINE AID BILL AS GOP REBELS THREATEN TO OUST JOHNSON

"Russian control over Ukraine would provide China with more oil and natural gas, further fueling China’s expansionist ambitions," he added.

Pence also argued that a win for Russia would be a win for China and further empower both authoritarian regimes. 

Many Republicans in the Upper Chamber, like Sen. Lindsey Graham and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have unequivocally backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – some even making the trip to Ukraine, while many Republicans in the House have opposed more U.S. support over concerns related to spending. 

GOP division on the matter not only held up U.S. support for Ukraine and significantly impacted its war effort during the winter and spring months, but it could also spell trouble for the party as Americans head to the pulls this November. 

"The Biden-Harris administration has failed America at home and abroad, so it is small wonder there are skeptics of continuing aid to Ukraine," Pence said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "But the simple fact is America will be less secure if Ukraine falls. 

"A more powerful Russia will only encourage China to be more aggressive. Standing firm in providing lethal aid to Ukraine will restrain authoritarian regimes from Tehran to Beijing, and, most importantly, will protect and secure our great nation," he added.

RUSSIA HITS UKRAINE FOR 2ND DAY WITH 'OUTRAGEOUS,' 'COWARDLY' MISSILE ATTACKS ON CIVILIAN AREAS

However, China is not the only concern some in the GOP have floated when it comes to continued Ukrainian support. 

Concerns over U.S. border security and the massive debt Washington faces have also been routinely cited as major issues, prompting some to opt out of supporting Kyiv.

"Securing the border is primarily an issue of willpower, not a $$$ problem," Pence said, claiming that Putin in the past has "weaponized refugees" and he could do it again if he isn’t stopped in Ukraine. 

"While there’s no question that the federal government has a massive overspending problem, lethal aid to Ukraine has been worth every penny," he said.

The memo pointed out that the U.S. has used just 1.5 % of its federal budget to defend Ukraine and to "degrad[e] the Russian military from the second best in the world to the second best in Ukraine."

"The cost of a Russian attack on a NATO ally, who we are treaty-bound to defend, would quickly exceed 1.5% of the federal budget," he added. "It is in America’s best interests for Ukraine to win the war."

Russia launched one of its largest and most deadly missile attacks against Ukraine on Tuesday, killing at least 41 people and injuring at least 180 others.

The missile strike targeted the Ukrainian city of Poltava roughly 70 miles from the Russian border, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"One of the buildings of the Institute of Communications was partially destroyed. People found themselves under the rubble. Many were saved," Zelenskyy said in a video posted on social media.

"All necessary services are involved in the rescue operation," he said, adding that he has ordered "a full and prompt investigation" into what happened.

DOGS OF WAR: BRITAIN'S NEW ROBOTS AIDING UKRAINE, TERRORIZING RUSSIA AS DRONES CONTINUE DOMINATING BATTLEFIELD

The Russian missiles hit shortly after the city's air raid alert sounded, when many people were on their way to a bomb shelter, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said, describing the strike as "barbaric."

UKRAINE SEEKS US GREENLIGHT TO HIT LONG-RANGE TARGETS IN RUSSIA

Rescue crews and medics saved 25 people, 11 of them dug out from the rubble, Ukrainian officials say.

Zelenskyy took the opportunity to urge Western allies to provide swift military aid.

"Ukraine needs air defense systems and missiles now, not sitting in storage," Zelenskyy wrote on social media.

"Long-range strikes that can protect us from Russian terror are needed now, not later. Every day of delay, unfortunately, means more lost lives," he added.

The strike comes amid Ukraine's own incursion into Kursk, the first time Ukrainian forces have pressed onto Russian soil since the beginning of the war. Ukrainian forces have battled in the region for weeks.

PUTIN ASSISTING MADURO REGIME AMID ONGOING PROTESTS OVER RIGGED ELECTION RESULT

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Ukraine has targeted bridges and crossings over the Seim River in Kursk over the past month, looking to stymie Russia’s ability to supply its forces in the region as Ukraine continues its push to claim the territory, according to East2West.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Venezuelan authorities on Monday sought an arrest warrant for the opposition's former presidential candidate Edmundo González, just over a month after election officials declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner of the disputed election that his opponents say he lost.

US SEIZES VENEZUELAN LEADER MADURO'S PLANE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

The prosecutor seeking the warrant in its request to a judge focused on terrorism-related crimes cites various charges against González, a former diplomat, including conspiracy, falsifying documents and usurpation of powers.

MOB OF ANTI-AMERICAN TURKISH NATIONALISTS ATTACK US SOLDIERS: ‘CANNOT DIRTY OUR COUNTRY’

Ruling party-loyal electoral authorities declared Maduro the victor of the July 28 presidential elections hours after polls closed. They did not show any detailed results to back up their claim as they had offered in previous presidential elections. The lack of transparency has drawn international condemnation.

The opposition, however, managed to obtain more than 80% of vote tally sheets, which are printed by every electronic voting machine, and said they show Maduro lost by a wide margin against González.

A mob of Turkish nationalists attacked U.S. Marines in western Turkey on Monday, resulting in the arrests of 15 people.

The incident took place in Izmir, which is located on Turkey's Aegean coast. In a statement, the Izmir governor's office said the assailants belonged to the Youth Union of Turkey, which is connected to the nationalist Vatan Party.

The governor said that the victims, who were assigned to the USS Wasp, were "physically attacked." The service members were identified as "soldiers" by authorities, but are U.S. Marines.

Video posted to social media showed service members in civilian clothing yelling for help as they were restrained by a group of anti-American men.

ISRAEL SHARES DOSSIER SPELLING OUT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST 12 UN EMPLOYEES ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN HAMAS ATTACK

The footage also shows an attacker throwing a plastic bag onto a victim's head as the crowd chanted, "Yankee, go home!"

Five U.S. service members intervened during the incident, and authorities eventually arrested all 15 of the men who attacked the Marines.

The U.S. Embassy in Turkey confirmed the incident in a statement published on social media on Monday, and said that the Marines are safe.

"We can confirm reports that U.S. service members embarked aboard the USS Wasp were the victims of an assault in İzmir today, and are now safe," the embassy said.

UN, HUMAN RIGHTS, MEDIA GROUPS RELY ON HAMAS DEATH TOLL IN 'SYSTEMATIC DECEPTION': EXPERT

"We thank Turkish authorities for their rapid response and ongoing investigation."

In a statement obtained by Reuters, the Youth Union of Turkey said the attack was "deserved" and criticized U.S. support of Israel.

"U.S. soldiers who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands cannot dirty our country," the nationalists said. "Every time you step foot in these lands, we will meet you the way you deserve."

Reuters contributed to this report.

A mob of Turkish nationalists attacked U.S. soldiers in western Turkey on Monday, resulting in the arrests of 15 people.

The incident took place in Izmir, which is located on Turkey's Aegean coast. In a statement, the Izmir governor's office said the assailants belonged to the Youth Union of Turkey, which is connected to the nationalist Vatan Party.

The governor said that the victims, who were assigned to the USS Wasp, were "physically attacked." Video posted to social media showed soldiers in civilian clothing yelling for help as they were restrained by a group of anti-American men.

The footage also shows an attacker throwing a plastic bag onto the soldier's head as the crowd chanted, "Yankee Go Home!"

ISRAEL SHARES DOSSIER SPELLING OUT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST 12 UN EMPLOYEES ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN HAMAS ATTACK

Five U.S. soldiers intervened during the incident, and authorities eventually arrested all 15 of the men who attacked the soldiers.

The U.S. Embassy in Turkey confirmed the incident in a statement published to social media on Monday, and said that the soldiers are safe.

"We can confirm reports that U.S. service members embarked aboard the USS Wasp were the victims of an assault in İzmir today, and are now safe," the embassy said.

UN, HUMAN RIGHTS, MEDIA GROUPS RELY ON HAMAS DEATH TOLL IN 'SYSTEMATIC DECEPTION': EXPERT

"We thank Turkish authorities for their rapid response and ongoing investigation."

In a statement obtained by Reuters, the Youth Union of Turkey said the attack was "deserved" and criticized U.S. support of Israel.

"U.S. soldiers who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands cannot dirty our country," the nationalists said. "Every time you step foot in these lands, we will meet you the way you deserve."

Reuters contributed to this report.

Hamas has released disturbing terrorist propaganda footage of six hostages who were abducted from Israel and recently found dead.

The video was reportedly posted on Hamas' Telegram account on Monday, according to the New York Post. Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Ori Danino, 25, Alex Lobanov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Almog Sarusi, 27, were seen speaking in the video.

The hostages appeared gaunt in the disturbing black-and-white footage. Each one identified themselves, including Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American citizen who was abducted at the Re'im music festival massacre on Oct. 7.

The 23-year-old, who identified himself and said that he was a resident of Jerusalem, was missing part of his arm after a grenade attack.

FATHER OF ISRAELI-AMERICAN HOSTAGE PLEADS FOR DEAL 'WITH SATAN' BEFORE BIDEN, HARRIS ENTER SITUATION ROOM

"We Will Show Their Last Messages," the video was captioned.

All six hostages were discovered dead on Saturday during an Israel Defense Ministry (IDF) operation in tunnels below Rafah, a city on the Gaza Strip. The IDF believes they were killed shortly before Israeli soldiers arrived on the scene.

NETANYAHU MOURNS DEATHS OF SIX HOSTAGES RECOVERED IN GAZA, VOWS TO 'SETTLE ACCOUNTS' WITH HAMAS

"According to our initial assessment, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them," IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement over the weekend.

In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he was "shocked to the core by the terrible cold-blooded murder of six of our abductees."

"He who murders abductees - does not want a deal," the Israeli leader added. "We are in a difficult day. The heart of the entire nation was torn." 

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

The United Kingdom is suspending dozens of weapons exports to Israel over concerns the arms could be used to break international law just a short time after Hamas murdered six hostages taken from Israel.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told lawmakers on Monday that the decision related to about 30 of 350 export licenses for equipment that includes parts for military aircraft and drones and items used for ground targeting.

Lammy said the British government believes the equipment "is for use in the current conflict in Gaza" and represents a "clear risk" that some could be used to "commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law."

Despite the suspension, Lammy said the move was "not a determination of innocence or guilt" about whether Israel had broken international law, and was not an arms embargo.

BIDEN CLAIMS NETANYAHU NOT DOING ENOUGH TO SECURE DEAL WITH TERRORISTS

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant responded in a statement, saying he was "disheartened" by the British government’s decision to slap "sanctions" on the export licenses.

"This comes at a time when we fight a war on 7 different fronts – a war that was launched by a savage terrorist organization, unprovoked," Gallant said. "At a time when we mourn 6 hostages who were executed in cold blood by Hamas inside tunnels in Gaza. At a time when we fight to bring 101 hostages home." 

"I stand by our troops and security agencies working with immense courage, professionalism and moral values," the statement continued. "We remain committed to defending the State of Israel and her people."

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the U.K.’s decision "sends a very problematic message" to the Iranian-backed Hamas terrorist group.

FATHER OF ISRAELI-AMERICAN HOSTAGE PLEADS FOR DEAL 'WITH SATAN' BEFORE BIDEN, HARRIS ENTER SITUATION ROOM

"Israel is a law-abiding state that operates in accordance with international law and has an independent and respected judicial system – we expect friendly countries, such as the UK, to recognize this all year-round, especially just days after Hamas terrorists executed six Israeli hostages, during intense negotiations for the release of the hostages and for a ceasefire, and in light of the recent threats by the Iranian regime to attack the State of Israel," Katz said.

The foreign minister said that he hopes the "deep friendship" between Israel and the U.K. will continue in the future.

Meanwhile, President Biden claimed in remarks to reporters that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure a hostage deal with Hamas terrorists.

Biden and Vice President Harris convened a hostage deal negotiating team in the Situation Room following the murder of 23-year-old Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages by Hamas on Saturday.

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

The United States seized a plane owned by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in the Dominican Republic, Fox News has confirmed. 

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) flew Maduro's personal plane back to the United States Monday morning, when it landed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and is now in U.S. custody, a U.S. official told Fox News following an initial report by CNN.

The plane, described by officials as Maduro’s version of "Air Force One," is used for Maduro’s state visits around the world and was seized in the Dominican Republic after it was purchased through a straw company in violation of sanctions laws and export controls, the official said. U.S. authorities cited a specific violation of U.S. executive order 13884, signed by former President Donald Trump in 2019. 

The plane, valued at $13 million, is a Dassault Falcon 900-EX. The seizure was a result of a joint investigation with HSI and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

"This morning, the Justice Department seized an aircraft we allege was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies," U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. "The Department will continue to pursue those who violate our sanctions and export controls to prevent them from using American resources to undermine the national security of the United States."

VENEZUELA SHOWS DANGER OF DICTATORS WHO USE TECH TO CONTROL PEOPLE

"Let this seizure send a clear message: aircraft illegally acquired from the United States for the benefit of sanctioned Venezuelan officials cannot just fly off into the sunset," Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew Axelrod, of the Department of Commerce, added.  "It doesn’t matter how fancy the private jet or how powerful the officials – we will work relentlessly with our partners here and across the globe to identify and return any aircraft illegally smuggled outside of the United States."

The seizure is expected to further frost relations between the U.S. and Venezuela.

In August 2019, Trump issued Executive Order 13884, which prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of, the government of Venezuela, including as a member of the Maduro regime. To protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, the Department of Commerce has also imposed export controls for items intended, entirely or in part, for a Venezuelan military or military-intelligence end user, the Justice Department said Monday. 

VENEZUELAN OFFICIAL DECRIES 'GRAVE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND VERACITY' IN ELECTION RESULTS

In late 2022 and early 2023, persons affiliated with Maduro allegedly used a Caribbean-based shell company to conceal their involvement in the illegal purchase of the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft, which at the time was valued at approximately $13 million, from a company based in the Southern District of Florida, according to U.S. investigators.

Federal investigators say the aircraft was then illegally exported from the United States to Venezuela through the Caribbean in April 2023. Since May 2023, the Dassault Falcon, bearing tail number T7-ESPRT, "has flown almost exclusively to and from a military base in Venezuela and has been used for the benefit of Maduro and his representatives, including to transport Maduro on visits to other countries," the DOJ said. 

The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Miami Field Office is investigating the case, along with the DHS, HSI El Dorado Task Force Miami. 

Fox News' David Spunt contributed to this report.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog eulogized Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin on Monday, apologizing "on behalf of the state of Israel" after Hamas murdered six captives over the weekend.

"Beloved Hersh, with a torn and broken heart, I stand here today as the President of the State of Israel, bidding you farewell and asking for your forgiveness, from you, and from Carmel, from Eden, from Almog, from Alex, and Ori, and from all your loved ones," Herzog said from the lecturn at Golberg-Polin's funeral in Jerusalem. 

"I apologize on behalf of the State of Israel, that we failed to protect you in the terrible disaster of October 7, that we failed to bring you home safely," Herzog continued. "I apologize that the country you immigrated to at the age of 7, wrapped in the Israeli flag, could not keep you safe. Rachel, Jon, dear Libby, and Orly, grandparents, and the whole family – I ask for your forgiveness, forgiveness that we could not bring Hersh back home alive. Your special light, Hersh, captivated all of us from the first glance, even through the posters crying out for his return." 

"Most of us did not have the privilege of knowing you in life, but you have been so alive in us for eleven months now; together with many other brothers and sisters, held captive by cursed, monstrous murderers – since Simchat Torah – which turned into the day of our disaster," he said. "Know this: We are witnesses, and we will never forget. There is no door in the world on which your beloved family did not knock for you, for your rescue and well-being. There is no stone they left unturned, no prayer or plea they did not cry out – from one end of the world to the other – in the ears of God and man."

BIDEN CLAIMS NETANYAHU NOT DOING ENOUGH TO SECURE DEAL WITH TERRORISTS

Herzog told mourners that the state of Israel "has an urgent and immediate task." 

"Decision-makers must do everything possible, with determination and courage, to save those who can still be saved, and to bring back all our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters," he said. "This is not a political goal, and it must not become a political dispute. It is a supreme moral, Jewish, and human duty of the State of Israel to its citizens.

"We did not fulfill this duty. And now – we have a sacred and shared obligation, to stand up and bring them all back to their homeland. For the spirit, resilience, and unity of Israel," Herzog added. "Of course, we do not forget for a moment our obligation to hold accountable the despicable murderers who butchered you, Hersh, your friends, our sisters, and our brothers. Here too, the mission is clear and binding: To continue fighting relentlessly against the murderous terrorist organization Hamas, which has once again proven that there is no end to its savagery and the crimes against humanity it is willing to commit." 

Thousands attended the funeral Monday for Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old native of Berkeley, California, according to The Associated Press. He was one of the most well-known hostages, and his parents had led a high-profile campaign for the captives’ release, meeting with President Biden and Pope Francis and addressing the Democratic National Convention last month.

FATHER OF ISRAELI-AMERICAN HOSTAGE PLEADS FOR DEAL 'WITH SATAN' BEFORE BIDEN, HARRIS ENTER SITUATION ROOM

Biden, who had been on vacation for two consecutive weeks, arrived back at the White House from Rehoboth Beach, Delware, on Monday morning. He and Vice President Kamala Harris convened in the Situation Room with a hostage deal negotiating team following the murder of Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages by Hamas on Saturday. 

Goldberg-Polin, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, was seized at a music festival in southern Israel during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Israeli forces recovered his body in the tunnels under Rafah, along with Israelis Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Master Sergeant Ori Danino. Hamas terrorists murdered the six hostages as Israeli forces closed in during a rescue mission in Gaza, according to the Israeli military.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on Sunday, to pass "along his deepest condolences to the families of all of the slain hostages, and he expressed outrage at their vicious, illegal, and immoral execution at the hands of Hamas," the U.S. Defense Department said in a statement. "The Secretary affirmed that Hamas leaders must be held accountable for their crimes. And Secretary Austin and Minister Gallant reaffirmed their mutual commitment to swiftly reaching a ceasefire deal to secure the release of all of the hostages." 

Hamas still holds 101 hostages, including seven Americans, following the Oct. 7 attacks. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau got an earful during a photo op from a cash-strapped steelworker who told the leader his policies have left his family scratching to make ends meet.

Footage of the tense exchange in Sault Ste. Marie, a city in Ontario, which was obtained by CTV News, went viral. The unidentified worker spurned Trudeau's offer of doughnuts to complain about high taxes, medical bills and giveaways to people he deemed "lazy."

"The 25% tariffs we just brought in is going to help you out … that's going to keep your job," Trudeau told the man.

"What about the 40% taxes I am paying? And I don't have a doctor," the employee of Algoma Steel shot back.

CANADA MOVES TO LIMIT IMMIGRATION AMID STRAINED RELATIONS WITH US

Trudeau responded by saying that a multimillion-dollar investment from the Canadian government meant the man would have a job "for many years to come." The man responded by saying that he expected Trudeau to be voted out.

"That's what elections are for," said the Liberal Party leader, who stayed calm and collected during the exchange. "I look forward to everyone exercising the right to vote. … We are going to invest in you and your job."

"I don't believe you for a second," the steelworker shot back.

The man also mentioned that he felt unemployed Canadians got better access to affordable health care than he did after Trudeau referenced an initiative to help hundreds of thousands of Canadians get dental care.

CANADA'S TRUDEAU TO REMAIN IN OFFICE DESPITE LOSS OF KEY SEAT IN SPECIAL ELECTION 

"Probably like my neighbor who doesn’t go to work because she’s lazy?" the steelworker asked.

"You know what? Most Canadians try to stick up for each other, and that’s what we've got to keep doing," Trudeau responded before wishing the man good luck. At the end, the laborer appeared to refuse a handshake from Trudeau.

The next federal election in Canada is set to take place on Oct. 20, 2025. Trudeau’s government has been scrutinized amid a cost-of-living crisis affecting the country, though Trudeau has remained optimistic.

"Inflation came down last month, beating out expectations," the prime minister wrote in a Facebook post on July 17. "But, until Canadians can feel that relief in their wallets, at the grocery store, and on their mortgages, the job’s not done."

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Fox News Digital reached out to Trudeau’s office for comment.

JERUSALEM - The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, is facing a barrage of criticism for failing to explicitly condemn the Hamas terrorist movement for its murders of one American and five Israeli citizens on Saturday.

Israel Defense Forces were looking to rescue the six hostages held by Hamas, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, in the tunnel system below Gaza's Rafah city, but instead found all six murdered at the hands of the terror group. The Times of Israel, quoting Israel's ministry of health, reported that the hostages had been murdered between Thursday and Friday morning. 

Guterres wrote on X, "I will never forget my meeting last October with the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin and other hostage families. Today's tragic news is a devastating reminder of the need for the unconditional release of all hostages and an end to the nightmare of war in Gaza."

ISRAEL SHARES DOSSIER SPELLING OUT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST 12 UN EMPLOYEES ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN HAMAS ATTACK 

Guterres’ post on X sparked criticism from Israel's former U.N. ambassador Gilad Erdan for playing down the severity of the murders by labeling the news as merely "tragic" and not condemning Hamas outright. 

Guterres’ spokesman did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital press query.

Erdan, who only left his role as ambassador last month, told Fox News Digital , "The Secretary General not only has Israeli blood on his hands, but he has American blood on his hands too. Since his "fig leaf" meeting with the hostage families, he has done ZERO to help them. He could have demanded visits from the Red Cross, he could have condemned Hamas and held them to account, but instead he spent his time criticizing the law-abiding democracy of Israel instead of the ISIS-like terrorists."
 

Erdan continued "This is a new low, even for the Secretary General. Even today, he wouldn’t condemn the evil Hamas terrorists, but of course, you can't condemn what you support. Hamas terrorists can rely on a morally bankrupt Secretary General for their survival whose only actions are meaningless photo-ops with hostage families, and criticism of Israel, while innocent hostages are being executed in cold blood."

Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and the president of Human Rights Voices, told Fox News Digital that "U.N. Secretary-General Guterres despicably now turns the cold-blooded murder of Israeli hostages by Palestinian terrorists into a win for the terrorists. He refuses to name the perpetrators. And equates their horrible deliberate execution with Israel's effort to release them."

She added "The United Nations top apparatus - its Security Council, General Assembly, and Human Rights Council - has never specifically condemned Hamas. U.N. denial of the right of Israeli self-defense and its promotion of violence against the people of Israel has never been more clear. No amount of U.N. photo-ops with hostages or their families will erase the reality of the U.N.'s insidious role in the nightmare of war in Israel for seven decades."

UN, HUMAN RIGHTS, MEDIA GROUPS RELY ON HAMAS DEATH TOLL IN 'SYSTEMATIC DECEPTION': EXPERT

In October, Erdan urged Guterres to resign after he claimed that the head of the world body had suggested that Israel was to blame for Hamas’ October 7 massacre that resulted in the murders of nearly 1,200 people, including more than 30 American citizens, and the kidnapping of over 250 people. Guterres came out to refute Erdan's charges, but the United Nations has long been seen by critics as a bastion of antisemitism and anti-Israel bias.

On Guterres’ watch, a number of U.N. agencies have been embroiled in scandals where they showed sympathy for Hamas. The scandal-plagued United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is facing a lawsuit in Manhattan for its alleged role in aiding the terrorist movement Hamas’ slaughter on October 7.

Hillel Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch, lambasted Guterres’ decision to not name the perpetrators of the mass murder of the six people. "Hamas just murdered six Israeli and American hostages by shooting them in the head. Why can’t you say so? Why can’t you condemn them?," wrote Neuer in a post on X.

Hamas is not on the United Nations' list of terrorist organizations. Fox News Digital sent press queries to Israel’s current U.N. ambassador and the country's foreign ministry.

Germany's right wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is expected to win its first election since the party was formed in 2013, as anti-mass immigration sentiment sends voters to the polls.

Exit polls on Sunday showed AfD securing a winning 33.5% share of the vote in Thuringia and 31.5% in Saxony. Meanwhile, the center-left Social Democratic Party – to which Chancellor Olaf Scholz belongs – brought in less than 8% of the vote in both states, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The election follows a wider trend of success for conservative groups across Europe in recent months. French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron's government narrowly quashed a conservative takeover of the French parliament earlier this year.

Analysts say the ultimate impact that AfD and other party politicians can have will be determined by how willing centrists are to work with them.

GERMAN RIGHT WING CANDIDATE STABBED IN LATEST ATTACK AHEAD OF ELECTIONS

"The center-right will decide to what extent an AfD win would be a turning point: So far, they have been relatively consistent in excluding cooperation — more so than in other Western European countries," Manès Weisskircher, a political scientist at the Dresden University of Technology, told the Journal.

The German elections this weekend come just days after a Syrian immigrant killed three people in a stabbing spree in Solingen, Germany. ISIS claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack shortly after.

Federal prosecutors in Germany identified the suspect as Issa Al H., omitting his family name because of German privacy laws.

GERMAN TERROR ATTACK SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS A SYRIAN REFUGEE, CHANCELLOR VOWS TO IMPLEMENT STRICT IMMIGRATION

ISIS said the attacker targeted Christians "to avenge Muslims in Palestine and everywhere."

Der Spiegel magazine, citing unidentified security sources, said that the suspect had moved to Germany late in 2022, and sought asylum.

Similar attacks by Muslim migrants across Europe have spurred anti-immigration sentiment. Even the left-leaning Scholz called for strengthening immigration laws and ramping up deportations in the wake of the attack.

"We will have to do everything we can to ensure that those who cannot and are not allowed to stay in Germany are repatriated and deported," Scholz said while visiting the sight where the stabbing happened.

"This was terrorism, terrorism against us all," he said.

Fox News' Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report

A circus trainer almost met his end in front of a live audience when a performing bear turned on him during a show in front of hundreds of children and parents. 

"Towards the end of the act, the bear snapped at Sergei and wrestled with him," Nikita Mikhailov, head of the Moretti Circus, told reporters after the incident. "Their performance continued." 

The female brown bear, named Donut and weighing around 490 pounds, was riding a hoverboard when she suddenly turned and jumped at her trainer, Sergei Prichinich, at the circus in Russia. 

Donut pinned Prichinich to the ground and snapped at him for about half a minute before a worker outside the cage prodded the bear and allowed the trainer to get back to his feet. 

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DEAD FISH BLANKET GREEK TOURIST PORT AFTER FLOODING

Mikhailov noted that the tamer "waited for the bear to calm down, got up, continued the routine with her, sealed it with a kiss, and that was it – the show continued as usual," according to East2West. 

In video footage released on Telegram and obtained by the media, the bear gnawed at a stick that the trainer held up to protect himself, and once the worker prodded her, she lost all aggression and walked away from him.

Mikhailov praised Prichinich for not losing his cool and allowing Donut to let out her aggression. 

NAMIBIA TO CULL 83 ELEPHANTS AND DISTRIBUTE MEAT TO PEOPLE AFFECTED BY DROUGHT

"This is an animal, and they can behave differently, they may not like something, they can express their emotions this way," Mikhailov said. "Every trainer understands this." 

Russian animal rights campaigner Yuri Koretskikh noted that while the incident ended safely, it could have gone awry, and he called for a ban on live animal performances. 

"While modern world circus art is rapidly moving towards humanity, banning the use of animals in circuses, the Russian circus lobby is actively resisting progress, defending its commercial interests," Koretskikh said.

RARE PANDA TWINS ARE BORN IN GERMANY

Russia has struggled with animal rights as a high-profile issue in recent years, leading Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018 to sign a bill banning all forms of animal cruelty, according to TASS. 

The law, however, did not cover animal performances, which have remained a focus for animal rights activists. 

The Russian governing body, the Duma in 2023 proposed a bill that would ban the use of circus animals in the country, with the bill moving to the lower chamber in October, according to Russian outlet Vet and Life. 

Alexey Nechaev and Vladislav Davankov, the co-authors of the bill, stressed the desire to "protect the lives and welfare of animals involved in circus performances," citing examples of more extreme animal abuse in circuses.

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office in 2022 published a report that found 116 cases of illegal use and 48 cases of animal cruelty in a review of over 500 animal shelters. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the deaths of six hostages whose bodies were recovered in Gaza this weekend.

The five Israelis and one Israeli-American were confirmed dead on Saturday, with the IDF saying they appeared to have been murdered shortly before Israeli forces arrived. 

"Together with the entire nation, my wife and I share in the families' deep mourning. I would like to express deep appreciation for our forces, for the brave IDF soldiers and ISA fighters, who risked their lives in order to return our sons and daughters," Netanyahu said.

"I say to the Hamas terrorists who murdered our hostages and I say to their leaders: You will pay the price. We will not rest, nor will be silent. We will pursue you, we will find you and we will settle accounts with you," he continued.

US TOP GENERAL SAYS TENSIONS IN MIDDLE EAST HAVE 'SOMEWHAT' EASED AMID NEW IRANIAN THREATS

Netanyahu went on to reference the ongoing cease-fire negotiations, saying Hamas has rejected proposals at every turn. 

DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS ISRAEL MUST 'WIDEN THE GOALS' OF WAR TO RETURN RESIDENTS TO THE NORTH

"Whoever murders hostages does not want a deal," Netanyahu said.

"For our part, we will not relent. The Government of Israel is committed, and I am personally committed, to continue striving toward a deal that will return all of our hostages and ensure our security and our existence," he added.

The Israeli-American hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was abducted at a music festival in southern Israel during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. His body was recovered Saturday in the tunnels under Rafah, along with Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Master Sergeant Ori Danino.

ISRAEL KILLS PALESTINIAN COMMANDER MUHAMMAD JABER ‘ABU SHUJAA’ AS FIGHTING INTENSIFIES: IDF

"According to our initial assessment, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them," IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement.

A dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, Goldberg-Polin immigrated to Israel with his family in 2008 at the age of seven, according to a statement from his family. He leaves behind his parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, and his two sisters.

Goldberg-Polin's family and friends traveled the world demanding his release and met with world leaders, including officials in the Biden administration.

Fox News' Landon Mion contributed to this report

Friday marked the third anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the end of the first U.S. campaign in what has been dubbed the Global War on Terror. 

But the conclusion to the 20-year-long war, which saw the death of more than 6,200 American soldiers and contractors, over 1,100 allied troops, 70,000 Afghan military and police, and more than 46,300 Afghan civilians, ultimately resulted in the collapse of Afghanistan to the Taliban and a safe haven for al Qaeda – once again becoming a "crucible of terrorism," according to former Afghan Lt. Gen. Sami Sadat.

Despite the more than $2.3 trillion spent on the war in Afghanistan and President Biden’s pronouncement that al Qaeda was "gone," the terrorist group is stronger than it was before the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, argued Sadat, author of "The Last Commander: The Once and Future Battle for Afghanistan."

"There is 50,000 al Qaeda members and al Qaeda associates in Afghanistan – most of them have trained for overseas operations in the last three years," Sadat, who served in the Afghan military and security apparatus for nearly two decades, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

THREE YEARS AFTER US WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN, ISRAEL LOOKS TO LESSONS LEARNED FROM WAR ON TERROR

Fox News Digital could not independently verify the exact number of al Qaeda militants in and outside of Afghanistan, though the figure cited by Sadat is only half the number of al Qaeda militants he believes are spread across the Arab world – a number at shocking odds with the 4,000 al-Qaeda members at large prior to the 9/11 attacks. 

The terrorist organization allegedly encompasses some 60 bases in 19 countries, including at least a dozen training camps in Afghanistan that have been set up since the U.S. withdrawal.

"Allowing them to retake Afghanistan with the Taliban in 2021 gave them a new rallying call. This is now their most important hub," Sadat reported in his book, which was released earlier this month. "Al Qaeda not only survived but adapted to the changing policies of American administrations, waiting the West out of Iraq and Afghanistan and watching the U.S. attack their Islamic State rivals in the Middle East."

U.S. intelligence assesses that despite al Qaeda’s significant numbers, it is currently incapable of carrying out long-range attacks. Though security experts probed by Fox News Digital pushed back on the assessment and questioned whether the intelligence community has made a distinction between capability and intent, and Sadat argued al Qaeda is capable of carrying out a "major attack."

Al Qaeda, like many terrorist organizations, has long relied on fairly unsophisticated methods of attack to cause widespread hurt on civilian populations. 

But there is now one major difference contributing to the al Qaeda group that has re-emerged today versus the terrorist organization that carried out the 9/11 attacks – nation-state backing. 

Al Qaeda in the late 1990s was primarily financed by private financial facilitators spread throughout the Gulf region that helped funnel money to the group, as reported by the 9/11 Commission, which was established in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, to investigate all aspects of the terrorist attacks.

The commission further said it found "no persuasive evidence" to prove the terrorist group had received any funding from foreign governments in the lead up to the attack – findings that draw a stark comparison to government accounts of al Qaeda over the last few years.  

IRAN BELIEVED TO HOUSE SUSPECTED NEW AL-QAEDA LEADER: UN REPORT

Just days before the Trump administration left the White House, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a Jan. 12, 2021, speech that "al-Qaeda has a new home base: it is the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Pompeo suggested that this information had been known for at least a year after al Qaeda member Abu Muhammad al-Masri, mastermind of the 1998 attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, had been killed in Tehran – a finding that originally surprised officials in the security apparatus, given the long-held differences between the Sunni terrorist organization and the Shiite nation. 

But Iran’s housing of the al Qaeda terrorists signaled that there was a new era in the fight against Islamic extremism, further showing that Tehran had become deeply involved in sheltering and arming not only other Shiite terrorist groups, but also al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, reports surfaced showing that Iran had not only been improving ties with the group in an effort to unite against the U.S. and its Western allies, it had provided arms to the Taliban as far back as 2009.

Iran, one of the first countries to normalize ties with the Taliban, has routinely deported Afghans who supported the U.S. and fled the country following the Taliban takeover – often resulting in their arrest and even execution, explained Sadat. 

"In October 2021, immediately after the fall of Afghanistan, there was a meeting conducted in Tehran among Esmail Qaani, the Quds Force leader with the IRGC, al Qaeda’s then international operations leader Saif al-Adel, who is currently al Qaeda’s leader, and the Taliban representative Mulla Abdul Hakim Mujahid," Sadat told Fox News Digital.

The lieutenant general said that during the meeting Tehran had offered to finance the "reconstitution and recruitment" of al Qaeda and encouraged the Taliban to give them space for training and army building. 

TALIBAN REBUKES UN CONCERNS OVER LAWS BANNING WOMEN'S FACES, VOICES IN PUBLIC

"They started a process of peace, brokering between these groups across the Middle East," Sadat said, pointing to one of the first truces formed between Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen and Sunni al Qaeda militants across the Arabian Peninsula. "They said they could use each other’s fighters, intelligence and facilities to conduct attacks against the U.S.

"That has dramatically shaped the Middle East," he warned. 

Sadat – who is said to have been the last Aghan commander that remained fighting the Taliban after former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021 – explained how a series of poor strategic and operational decisions in Afghanistan that were dictated by political turmoil in the U.S., had devastating consequences for not only Afghanistan but also global security. 

The U.S. began striking al Qaeda and the Taliban in October 2001 in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. 

But following seven years of war, just a third of the amount of time the U.S. would spend in Afghanistan, Americans had grown tired of the war. 

A push to limit combat operations under the Obama administration, followed by a botched deal between the Trump administration and the Taliban – an agreement that blindsided the Afghan government and empowered the militant group – cemented by President Biden’s refusal to rethink the U.S.’s long-term strategy in Afghanistan, meant that Afghan forces had been starved of ammunition as well as adequate U.S. air support, and morale had become increasingly depleted as Taliban forces continued to attack in "waves."

"The war was lost not because the Taliban were strong but because for twenty years it was not treated as a war but as a short-term intervention," Sadat wrote. "The better American officials knew the problem. 

"They had a saying: ‘It’s not year twenty. It’s year one for the twentieth time’," he added. 

The overall sentiment in the U.S., spanning multiple administrations from both sides of the aisle, was a desire to stop the "endless" wars against Islamic extremism. 

But Sadat argued that Washington’s inability to oust the Taliban, counter state-funded nations like Iran, and consistently support the Afghan forces safeguarding their newly formed democratic government, has meant that terrorist groups today are motivated and forging ties with Western adversaries like Iran, North Korea, Russia and China. 

"Afghanistan has once again become a crucible of international terrorism, under Taliban protection," Sadat wrote. "Those of us who left carry with us our education – and a burning desire to return. The new generation, my generation, have the motivation to take back Afghanistan and change it once and for all in the direction of peace and prosperity. 

"For now, I am a general without an army," he said.

Sadat said he fully intends to return to Afghanistan one day.

Experts worry that terrorists will find novel and problematic uses for artificial intelligence (AI), including new methods of delivering explosives and improving their online recruitment initiatives. 

"The reality is that AI can be extremely dangerous if used with malicious intent," Antonia Marie De Meo, director of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, wrote in a report looking at how terrorists might use AI. 

"With a proven track record in the world of cybercrime, it is a powerful tool that could conceivably be employed to further facilitate terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism," she added, citing self-driving car bombs, augmenting cyberattacks or finding easier paths to spread hate speech or incite violence online.

The report, "Algorithms and Terrorism: The Malicious Use of Artificial Intelligence for Terrorist Purposes," concludes that law enforcement will need to remain at the cutting edge of AI.

TOM HANKS ISSUES WARNING ABOUT AI ADS FOR ‘WONDER DRUGS’: ‘DO NOT BE SWINDLED’

"It is our aspiration that [this report] is the beginning of the conversation on the malicious use of AI for terrorist purposes," De Meo wrote. 

The report noted that the task of staying ahead of terrorists and anticipating how they can use AI will prove a stubborn task as it requires them to not only think of ways to use AI that no one has considered before, but then to figure out how to stop someone from employing that very method. 

The report backs up a study from a collaboration between NATO COE-DAT and the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute, "Emerging Technologies and Terrorism: An American Perspective," which argued that "terrorist groups are exploiting these tools for recruitment and attacks." 

THE 6-WHEELED ROBOT THAT CHECKS OUT DANGEROUS SITUATIONS SO HUMANS DON'T HAVE TO

"The line between reality and fiction blurs in the age of rapid technological evolution, urging governments, industries, and academia to unite in crafting ethical frameworks and regulations," the authors wrote in the forward.

"As geopolitical tides shift, NATO stresses national responsibility in combating terrorism and advocating for collective strength against the looming specter of technology-driven threats," the authors added. 

EXPERTS WARN AI COULD GENERATE ‘MAJOR EPIDEMICS OR EVEN PANDEMICS’ - BUT HOW SOON?

The study notes general case uses of OpenAI’s ChatGPT to "improve phishing emails, plant malware in open-coding libraries, spread disinformation and create online propaganda." 

"Cybercriminals and terrorists have quickly become adept at using such platforms and large language models in general to create deepfakes or chatbots hosted on the dark web to obtain sensitive personal and financial information or to plan terror attacks or recruit followers," the authors wrote.

"This malicious use is likely to increase in the future as the models become more sophisticated," they added. "How sensitive conversations and Internet searches are stored and distributed over AI platforms or via large language models will require more transparency and controls." 

Earlier this year, West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center published research on the subject, focusing on the ability to improve planning capabilities for terrorist attacks, moving beyond merely enhancing what they’re already doing. 

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

"Specifically, the authors investigated the potential implications of commands that can be input into these systems that effectively ‘jailbreak’ the model, allowing it to remove many of its standards and policies that prevent the base model from providing extremist, illegal, or unethical content," the authors explained in their abstract. 

"Using multiple accounts, the authors explored the different ways that extremists could potentially utilize five different large language models to support their efforts in training, conducting operational planning, and developing propaganda." 

Their testing revealed Bard as the most resilient to jailbreaking — or bypassing guardrails — followed by each of the ChatGPT models. Mainly, they found indirect prompts relatively sufficient to jailbreak a model in more than half the cases. 

The study found that jailbreak guardrails need constant review and "increased cooperation between private and public sectors," including academia, tech firms and the security community. 

Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin has been confirmed dead, his family announced early Sunday.

Goldberg-Polin, 23, was abducted at a music festival in southern Israel during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack against the Jewish State. He lost part of his left arm to a grenade in the attack.

His body was recovered Saturday in the tunnels under Rafah, along with five other hostages, after being killed by Hamas.

A dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, he immigrated to Israel with his family in 2008 at the age of seven, according to a statement from his family. He leaves behind his parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, and his two sisters.

DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS ISRAEL MUST 'WIDEN THE GOALS' OF WAR TO RETURN RESIDENTS TO THE NORTH

Goldberg-Polin's family and friends traveled the world demanding his release and met with world leaders, including officials in the Biden administration.

President Biden said he is "devastated and outraged" by the news of Goldberg-Polin's death.

"It is as tragic as it is reprehensible," he said. "Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages."

Vice President Kamala Harris, also the Democratic nominee for president, said her prayers are with Goldberg-Polin's loved ones as they mourn his loss.

"Hamas is an evil terrorist organization," Harris said. "With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas' continued brutality, and so must the entire world. From its massacre of 1,200 people to sexual violence, taking of hostages, and these murders, Hamas' depravity is evident and horrifying."

ISRAEL KILLS PALESTINIAN COMMANDER MUHAMMAD JABER ‘ABU SHUJAA’ AS FIGHTING INTENSIFIES: IDF

"The threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel — and American citizens in Israel — must be eliminated and Hamas cannot control Gaza," she added. "The Palestinian people too have suffered under Hamas’ rule for nearly two decades."

The other bodies recovered on Saturday are Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Master Sergeant Ori Danino.

The six victims were shot by their captors shortly before Israeli Defense Forces arrived, according to the IDF. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he "embrace[s] their families with all my heart, and apologize[s] for failing to bring them home safely."

"A few hours ago, we informed the families that the bodies of their loved ones had been located by IDF troops in an underground tunnel in Rafah," IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement. "According to our initial assessment, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them."

Fox News' Yonat Friling contributed to this report.