World News

Nigerian security forces clashed with protesters during mass demonstrations over the country's economic crisis, leaving at least nine people dead, a rights group said Friday. One police officer was killed as the military threatened to intervene to quell any violence.

Meanwhile, four people were killed and 34 injured Thursday when a bomb went off in a crowd of protesters in the conflict-hit northeastern state of Borno, authorities said.

Police continued to fire tear gas at protesters in various locations, including the capital of Abuja, as they regrouped on Friday.

SECURITY FORCES RESCUE 14 NIGERIAN STUDENTS ABDUCTED BY GUNMEN

The military will also intervene if the looting and destruction of public properties witnessed on Thursday continued, Nigeria’s defense chief Gen. Christopher Musa said. "We will not fold our arms and allow this country to be destroyed," Musa told reporters in Abuja.

More than 400 protesters had been arrested as of Friday, the Nigerian police said. Curfews were imposed in five northern states after the looting of government and public properties, but protesters defied the curfews in some places, resulting in arrests and clashes with police.

National police chief Kayode Egbetokun said Thursday night that the police are on red alert and may seek the help of the military.

Amnesty International’s Nigeria director Isa Sanusi said in an interview that the group independently verified deaths that were reported by witnesses, families of the victims, and lawyers.

The protests were mainly over food shortages and accusations of misgovernment and corruption in Africa’s most populous country. Nigeria’s public officials are among the best paid in Africa, a stark contrast in a country that has some of the world’s poorest and hungriest people despite being one of the continent’s top oil producers.

The cost-of-living crisis — the worst in a generation — is fueled by surging inflation that is at a 28-year high and the government’s economic policies that have pushed the local currency to record low against the dollar.

Carrying placards, bells, tree branches and Nigeria’s green-and-white flag, the mostly young protesters chanted songs as they listed their demands, including the reinstatement of gas and electricity subsidies that were canceled as part of an economic reform effort.

Violence and looting were concentrated in Nigeria's northern states, which are among the hardest hit by hunger and insecurity. Dozens of protesters were seen running with looted goods including furniture and gallons of cooking oil.

Egbetokun, the police chief, said officers "aimed at ensuring peaceful conduct." But, he added "regrettably, events in some major cities today showed that what was being instigated was mass uprising and looting, not protest."

The police chief’s claim was disputed by rights groups and activists. "Our findings so far show that security personnel at the locations where lives were lost deliberately used tactics designed to kill," Sanusi said.

Authorities feared the protests, which have been gathering momentum on social media, could be a replay of the deadly 2020 demonstrations against police brutality in this West African nation, or as a wave of violence similar to last month’s chaotic tax hike protests in Kenya.

However, the threats that emerged as the protests turned violent in some places did "not require that level of response" from police officers, said Anietie Ewang, a Nigerian researcher with Human Rights Watch.

Turkey sparked outrage on Friday after its President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ordered a day of mourning for the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and flags around the globe were apparently lowered to half-mast – including in Israel.

The Israeli foreign minister summoned the deputy Turkish ambassador for a "severe reprimand" after the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv lowered its flag in honor of Haniyeh's death.

"The State of Israel will not tolerate expressions of mourning for a murderer like Ismail Haniyeh," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

TURKEY'S ERDOGAN THREATENS TO INVADE ISRAEL OVER WAR IN GAZA AS REGIONAL TENSIONS GROW

Katz went on to accuse Erdoğan of turning Turkey into a "dictatorship" over its support for "Hamas' murderers and rapists, against the stance of the entire free world."

Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oncu Keceli, responded to Katz's comments and said, "You cannot achieve peace by killing negotiators [or] threatening diplomats," in an apparent reference to Haniyeh, who was reportedly involved in ongoing ceasefire talks. 

Pictures on social media show that the Turkish flag was not only lowered to half-mast in Tel Aviv, but also in Washington, D.C., though Fox News Digital could not immediately verify these images. 

Neither the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C., nor the U.S. State Department immediately returned Fox News Digital’s questions regarding the incident. 

HAMAS LEADER ISMAIL HANIYEH WAS KILLED IN TEHRAN BY HIDDEN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE: REPORT

Erdoğan has been vocal in his condemnation of the killing of the Hamas terrorist earlier this week in Iran. 

Haniyeh was killed in an attack that allegedly involved a bomb that had been planted in the visitor quarters where Haniyeh was staying in Tehran, according to a report by the New York Times. 

Questions have mounted over how a bomb was allegedly planted months ahead of time in a building heavily monitored by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Israel has not taken credit for the killing of the Hamas leader like it did for the strike in Beirut on Tuesday, in which Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr, head of the group's military operations, was killed. 

Iran, along with Hamas and Hezbollah, has still accused Israel of the death of Haniyeh and has vowed to take revenge. 

Reuters contributed to this report.

Turkey sparked outrage on Friday after its President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ordered a day of mourning for the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and flags around the globe were apparently lowered to half-mast – including in Israel.

The Israeli foreign minister summoned the deputy Turkish ambassador for a "severe reprimand" after the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv lowered its flags in honor of Haniyeh's death.

"The State of Israel will not tolerate expressions of mourning for a murderer like Ismail Haniyeh," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

TURKEY'S ERDOGAN THREATENS TO INVADE ISRAEL OVER WAR IN GAZA AS REGIONAL TENSIONS GROW

Katz went on to accuse Erdoğan of turning Turkey into a "dictatorship" over its support for "Hamas' murderers and rapists, against the stance of the entire free world."

Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oncu Keceli, responded to Katz's comments and said, "You cannot achieve peace by killing negotiators [or] threatening diplomats," in an apparent reference to Haniyeh, who was reportedly involved in ongoing ceasefire talks. 

Pictures on social media show that the Turkish flag was not only lowered to half-mast in Tel Aviv, but also in Washington, D.C., though Fox News Digital could not immediately verify these images. 

Neither the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C., nor the U.S. State Department immediately returned Fox News Digital’s questions regarding the incident. 

HAMAS LEADER ISMAIL HANIYEH WAS KILLED IN TEHRAN BY HIDDEN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE: REPORT

Erdoğan has been vocal in his condemnation of the killing of the Hamas terrorist earlier this week in Iran. 

Haniyeh was killed in an attack that allegedly involved a bomb that had been planted in the visitor quarters where Haniyeh was staying in Tehran, according to a report by the New York Times. 

Questions have mounted over how a bomb was allegedly planted months ahead of time in a building heavily monitored by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Israel has not taken credit for the killing of the Hamas leader like it did for the strike in Beirut on Tuesday, in which Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr, head of the group's military operations, was killed. 

Iran, along with Hamas and Hezbollah, has still accused Israel of the death of Haniyeh and has vowed to take revenge. 

Reuters contributed to this report.

The Mexican army has confirmed that drug cartel-operated bomb-dropping drones have killed soldiers in the western state of Michoacan.

Defense Secretary Gen. Luis Cresencio Sandoval did not provide exact figures on the number of casualties suffered in the attacks, according to the Associated Press. 

Sandoval stated on Friday that attacks targeted patrol units and included over 260 drone-bomb incidents in 2023 alone.

"Our personnel have suffered wounds, and some of our troops have even died" in the attacks, Sandoval said.

STRIKES AGAINST MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS ARE 'ABSOLUTELY' STILL ON THE TABLE, SAYS FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP

The Jalisco cartel, known for equipping drones with metal bomb casings, has turned the region into a warzone with IEDs, trenches, and armored vehicles. 

Sandoval told the AP that the army continues to encounter far more road-side bombs than drone-dropped ones.

MEXICAN CARTELS USE US BORDER TO ARM THEMSELVES WITH 'MILITARY-GRADE' WEAPONS: DOCS

According to officials, the only other reported cartel bomb attacks took place back in August 2023.

The defense department told the AP during that time, a total of 42 soldiers, police and suspects were wounded by IEDs in the first seven and a half months of 2023, up from 16 in all of 2022.

The Mexican army is now adding anti-drone systems to combat these threats. 

'MOST RUTHLESS' MEXICAN CARTELS OPERATE IN ALL 50 STATES, BRING TURF WARS TO US: DEA

Mexico’s Navy also acknowledged on Friday that two military helicopter crew members died earlier this year when their chopper went down in the Pacific Ocean while chasing cocaine-smuggling boats.

Officials told the AP that the U.S. Navy had agreed to help in recovering the sunken helicopter and the crew members’ remains.

The Jalisco and Sinaloa cartels have also flooded major U.S. cities with meth and fentanyl and use violence to protect their turf, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said in a May report.

"The deadly reach of the Mexican Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels into U.S. communities is extended by the wholesale-level traffickers and street dealers bringing the cartels’ drugs to market, sometimes creating their own deadly drug mixtures," the DEA report says. "Together, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have caused the worst drug crisis in U.S. history."

In late April, 12 traffickers tied to the Jalisco cartel were sentenced to 4.5 to 40 years in federal prison after they were busted in Del Rio, Texas, in 2021 for coordinating a shipment of nearly 200 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine worth $9.9 million.

Last week, during an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters on "Jesse Watters Primetime, former President Trump said strikes against Mexican drug cartels are "absolutely" still on the table as fentanyl and overdose deaths continue to plague the United States.

Fox News Digital's Chris Eberhart and Ashley Carnahan and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The threat of a regional war in the Middle East is troubling world leaders as Islamic extremist groups climb back to the top of international headlines, this time with the backing of state-sponsored terrorism.   

The Houthi terrorist group has been a long-standing nuisance in the Red Sea due to its near-decade-long attacks on military and merchant ships using increasingly sophisticated weapons systems. 

Following Hamas terrorists' deadly Oct. 7 assault on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza, Houthi-led attacks in the Red Sea have drastically increased, and the group has vowed not to cease its operations until Israel stops its attacks against Hamas and the Palestinian people.

However, these strikes are rooted in more than Houthi opposition to the war in Gaza and point to an increasingly sophisticated geopolitical tactic by U.S.’s chief adversaries, Iran and Russia.

HAMAS LEADER ISMAIL HANIYEH WAS KILLED IN TEHRAN BY HIDDEN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE: REPORT

"The Houthis have become a major player in Iran’s strategy to tighten the noose around Israel," Bill Roggio, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and founding editor of "The Long War Journal," told Fox News Digital. 

However, the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are not only playing into Iran’s strategy, they are aiding Russia in its war against Ukraine, and by extension, the U.S. and NATO.

Reports surfaced earlier this month suggesting that Russia may be looking to arm Houthi terrorists in the Red Sea in retaliation for the U.S.’ immense support of Ukraine. 

Though U.S. defense officials have said they do not believe Moscow has yet transferred any arms to the terrorist organization, the news followed a meeting that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov reportedly had with Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdel Salam earlier this year. 

The meeting was an alleged attempt by the militant group to encourage Russia to put pressure on the U.S. and stop the war in Gaza.

Western defense officials have been sounding the alarm that Houthi attacks in the Red Sea not only threaten the lives of those in international waters, but are contributing to food and trade shortages worldwide, further exacerbating global food insecurity, particularly in Africa, initially started by Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

US FORCES DESTROY HOUTHI DRONES AS TERROR GROUP CONTINUES AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS AT SEA

"You can never look at these things in isolation," Roggio said. "Anything the Russians can do to punish [the U.S.] – military costs, economic costs, political costs. It’s driving up the costs for the U.S. to support Ukraine by compounding problems throughout the Middle East."

"The Russians are going to take advantage of any conflicts the U.S. are in," he added. "We are kind of in a return to a Cold War-type state where this is bleeding over into theaters where the U.S. has direct interest."

Roggio explained that while its "very possible" Russia is having direct communication with the Houthis, he believes it is more likely that Moscow is working through Tehran.

"What the Iranians are doing is beneficial for Iran," he said. "Its almost like Russia is outsourcing pain for the U.S….via Iran."

The Russia-Iran partnership first garnered global attention after Tehran agreed to supply Russian President Vladimir Putin with drones just six months into its deadly war in Ukraine. 

IRAN REPORTEDLY CONVENES TERROR PROXIES TO PLOT ASSASSINATION RESPONSE, ISRAEL 'STRONGLY PREPARED IN DEFENSE'

Iran and Russia have since established a mutually beneficial partnership in an effort to counter Western sanctions slapped on both nations for varying security reasons. 

As attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea continue to mount, it has become increasingly evident how the militant group is being used by both Iran and Russia for their geopolitical aims.

From mid-October 2023 through July, there have been nearly 290 attacks by Houthi terrorists based out of Yemen directed at merchant and military ships in the Red Sea, as well as strikes against Israel, which the U.S. Navy has helped to intercept, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a nonprofit data collection agency.

Despite the increased U.S. presence in the Red Sea, the head of the U.S. Central Command, Gen. Erik Kurilla, reportedly advised Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that U.S. military operations in the region were "failing" and urged a broader approach, reported the Wall Street Journal earlier this month. 

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"What we’re doing is basically targeting weapons systems. We’re not making an effort to target Houthi leadership, to target military and political leadership," Roggio said. "You really want to get to the root of the problem – it’s the Iranians that are behind all of this."

"The Iranians have not had to pay a price," he added. "[They] are happy to let the Houthis fight to the death – that’s not really going to impact the Iranians."

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., criticized the Biden administration’s handling of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, arguing that it has fed his regime’s strongman image and emboldened him in his more authoritarian aims. 

"In my view, it strengthened them internally, and I think gave him the boldness to say: I can get away with this now," Rubio argued. "I'll be condemned. They’ll snap back some sanctions, people will say mean things about me, but in a few months… 2 million more people will leave Venezuela. I'll put some people in jail and crack down on them, and the people around me and the regime will remain loyal, because I've proven that I can win and, I can win in negotiations." 

Rubio explained that he believes the root problem lies with the people President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have around them, which includes "people who are convinced that you can negotiate a good outcome anywhere."

"There are some people that you simply can't just close because of their nature and because of their interests," Rubio insisted. "There isn't going to be a diplomatic solution, unfortunately, in the short term… particularly when you're dealing with authoritarians that are trying to figure out how to stay in power." 

BLINKEN SAYS VENEZUELA'S NICOLAS MADURO LOST ELECTION BEFORE CLAIMING VICTORY WITH 'NO SUPPORTING EVIDENCE'

Anti-government protests have continued in the days following the late July presidential election that the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council handed to the incumbent with an alleged victory margin of 51%, compared to 44% support for the opposition. 

Pre-election polling (which is illegal in the country) showed that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez had double the support that Maduro and his United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) had. Venezuelans took to the streets in peaceful protest, but Maduro sent out police to crackdown on them and to clear the streets, leading to violent clashes and escalation. 

Maduro on Wednesday asked the country’s Supreme Court to audit the election, responding to claims that the opposition had won the election and international claims that the election was not fair and free, but many argue that PSUV has such thorough control over every part of the country’s judiciary it is "compromised." 

Ultimately, the Biden administration on Thursday declared Gonzalez the rightful winner of the election, arguing that, "Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election." 

MADURO BOWS TO PRESSURE FOR JUDICIAL AUDIT OF ELECTION RESULTS AS ARGENTINA'S MILEI ENCOURAGES PROTESTS

"The democratic opposition has published more than 80% of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations throughout Venezuela," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a press release. "Those tally sheets indicate that Edmundo González Urrutia received the most votes in this election by an insurmountable margin."

The U.S. State Department stressed that Maduro's victory followed with "no supporting evidence" and that the U.S. "consulted widely with partners and allies around the world" and "none have concluded that Nicolás Maduro received the most votes this election." 

The U.S. helped broker the Barbados Agreement between the Venezuelan president and the opposition parties in his country last October, seeking free and fair elections in exchange for sanctions relief. Maduro immediately backtracked on the agreement by suspending primaries over alleged corruption just one month after signing the deal. 

The State Department then in April allowed the relief, known as General License 44, to expire. The license allowed Venezuela to perform transactions related to oil and gas sector operations, despite acknowledging that Maduro had delivered on "some of the commitments" on the electoral roadmap. 

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM CALLS ON ISRAEL TO ‘DESTROY' IRANIAN OIL REFINERIES

A National Security Council spokesperson told Fox News Digital that it is "inaccurate to characterize" the Barbados Agreement as a "quid pro quo." 

"We significantly changed the sanctions policy we inherited from the previous administration because there is no question that the previous administration’s sanctions policy was not working and led to the exodus of 8 million Venezuelans," the spokesperson said. 

"In October we calibrated our sanctions policy following the Barbados Agreement to show Maduro and his representatives that things could be different, if only they followed through on their commitments — which they now are not doing, and you can anticipate swift USG [United States Government] action very soon," the spokesperson argued. 

Jorge Jraissati, a Venezuelan foreign policy expert and President of the Economic Inclusion Group, bemoaned that the Biden administration has "not done enough at all" through an "erratic" policy towards Venezuela at a time when America’s support remains essential to achieving meaningful progress.

"It lacks strategy," Jraissati said. "It has relied on empty promises on the part of Maduro, and, as a result, the Maduro regime has been able to strengthen their position internationally, as well as their finances."

"To bring freedom to Venezuela, we need a real strategist in the White House," Jraissati added. "We need a foreign policy doctrine that leverages America’s mind power and its vast geoeconomic tools. We need a president that understands the national security and economic importance of Venezuela."

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"When it comes to the American people, we need their brightest minds to join our cause," he urged. "We need the strategic mind of U.S. businessmen, new technologies built in Silicon Valley and the intellect of America’s greatest experts."

The State Department did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said a Venezuelan opposition leader, not socialist and Hugo Chavez successor Nicolás Maduro, won the country's presidential election. Maduro has claimed victory and threatened the opposition since July 28, sparking widespread protests.

"Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election," Blinken said. 

Maduro is widely believed to have lost before declaring victory, and numerous regional governments have cast doubt on the results. 

EXPERTS FEAR VENEZUELA'S MADURO COULD STEAL SUNDAY'S ELECTION AS OPPOSITION LEADS IN POLLS

Government officials from Brazil, Colombia and Mexico have been trying to convince Maduro’s administration that he must show the vote tally sheets from Sunday’s election and allow impartial verification, a Brazilian government official told the Associated Press on Thursday. Doing so would dispel any doubt about the results, the official said. Argentina's newly elected libertarian President Javier Milei has called for the anti-Maduro protests to continue.

On Wednesday, Maduro asked Venezuela’s highest court to conduct an audit of the election, but that request drew almost immediate criticism from foreign observers who said the court is too close to the government to produce an independent review.

Polls taken over the course of the summer consistently showed opposition candidate Edmundo González winning by double-digit margins.

When the National Electoral Council, which is controlled by Maduro loyalists, announced around midnight that Maduro had received 51% of the vote compared to main opposition candidate González's 44% support, council President Elvis Amoroso said the results were based on 80% of voting stations and represented an irreversible trend.

VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS' BARBARIC CRIMES COME AS MADURO REFUSES TO TAKE BACK ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM US

"Meanwhile, the democratic opposition has published more than 80% of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations throughout Venezuela," Blinken said. "Those tally sheets indicate that Edmundo González Urrutia received the most votes in this election by an insurmountable margin."

"The CNE’s rapid declaration of Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the presidential election came with no supporting evidence," the State Department said Thursday. "In the days since the election, we have consulted widely with partners and allies around the world, and while countries have taken different approaches in responding, none have concluded that Nicolás Maduro received the most votes this election."

Since the election, protesters have taken to the streets to voice anger at the results, prompting a heavy-handed response by authorities in some instances. Blinken called for authorities to protect opposition leaders like González and María Corina Machado, the release of protesters who were arrested, and for the peaceful transition of power.

"Now is the time for the Venezuelan parties to begin discussions on a respectful, peaceful transition in accordance with Venezuelan electoral law and the wishes of the Venezuelan people," Blinken said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Russia received eight criminals in a historic prisoner swap that saw a total of 24 detainees released in a complex deal involving seven nations, including the U.S. and Germany.

Here is a look at the faces of evil that were allowed to return to Russia in the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War:

The top pick on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s wish list for the swap was hit man Vadim Krasikov, who used the alias Vadim Sokolov. He was convicted by a German court for the 2019 assassination of a former Chechen commander near Berlin’s parliamentary building. 

WSJ REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH RELEASED BY RUSSIA IN PRISONER SWAP; PAUL WHELAN ALSO BEING FREED

He apparently carried out the assassination on the orders of Moscow’s security services.

Roman Seleznev, the son of a member of the Russian Parliament, was sentenced to 27 years in prison after he was convicted of hacking into more than 500 U.S. businesses and stealing millions of credit card numbers. 

He was also sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in a $50 million cyber fraud ring and for defrauding banks of $9 million through a hacking scheme.

'DANGEROUS MESSAGE': TOP REPUBLICAN RAISES CONCERNS OVER TRADING AMERICANS FOR 'ACTUAL RUSSIAN CRIMINALS'

Vadim Konoshchenok, a Russian citizen with alleged ties to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), was accused of providing U.S.-made electronics and ammunition to the Russian military.

He was extradited from Estonia to the U.S. last month.

"As alleged, the defendant was a critical participant in a scheme to provide sensitive, American-made electronics and ammunition in furtherance of Russia's war efforts and weapons development, violating U.S. export controls, economic sanctions and other criminal statues," U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace wrote in a press release at the time. "Let this case serve as the latest example that no matter where you are in the world, if you violate U.S. export controls or evade U.S. sanctions, we will not rest until you face justice in a U.S. courtroom."

Vladislav Klyushin, a Russian businessman, was convicted for his involvement in an elaborate hack-to-trade scheme that netted approximately $93 million through securities trades based on confidential corporate information stolen from U.S. computer networks.

In February 2023, Klyushin was convicted by a federal jury of securities fraud, wire fraud, gaining unauthorized access to computers and conspiracy to commit those crimes. 

He was arrested in Switzerland in March 2021 and extradited to the U.S. later that year.

Pavel Rubtsov was identified as a Russian spy by Poland’s Internal Security Agency in 2022. He was working as a journalist for Spanish media under the fake name Pablo Gonzalez. He was arrested on espionage charges in eastern Poland, near the Ukrainian border, in the first days after Russia’s full-scale-invasion.

Artem Dultzev and Anna Dultseva are a Russian couple that were arrested on espionage charges in Slovenia in 2022. 

Posing as Argentine citizens, they reportedly had used Slovenia as a base since 2017 to travel to neighboring countries and relay Moscow’s orders to other Russian sleeper agents.

They pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 19 months in prison. They were released on time served. The couple is said to have two children.

Mikhail Mikushin was arrested in Norway in 2022 on espionage charges. 

According to Norwegian investigators, he was living in the country under a fake identity while working for Russia's intelligence service. 

He allegedly entered the country claiming to be a Brazilian citizen.

BIDEN CALLS RUSSIA PRISONER SWAP DEAL THAT FREED WSJ'S GERSHKOVICH, WHELAN A 'FEAT OF DIPLOMACY'

The historic exchange freed three American citizens and one American green-card holder who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia: Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza

President Biden called the prisoner swap deal a "feat of diplomacy."

"We’ve negotiated the release of 16 people from Russia — including five Germans and seven Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country. Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over," the White House said in a press release. 

Fox News is told that one hour before Biden announced on July 21 that he was dropping out of this year's presidential race, he was on the phone with his Slovenian counterpart urging them to make final arrangements to get the deal over the finish line. 

Biden spoke individually with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to thank them for their partnership on the historic deal that brought home Americans and others detained in Russia. 

The president expressed his appreciation for their support during the complex negotiations and active engagement throughout the process to achieve this monumental release. 

However, a top Republican warned on Thursday that the Biden administration's choice to trade Russian criminals for detained Americans could be sending a "dangerous message" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, joined others in celebrating the releases, saying he was "thrilled" to hear the detained Americans were coming home.

"But I remain concerned that continuing to trade innocent Americans for actual Russian criminals held in the U.S. and elsewhere sends a dangerous message to Putin that only encourages further hostage taking by his regime," he added. 

Biden is expected to greet the returned prisoners at Joint Base Andrews Thursday evening.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman, Julia Johnson, David Rutz, Brian Flood, and Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.

In the biggest prisoner swap with Moscow since the Cold War, the Biden administration on Thursday secured the liberation of 16 American and German nationals held prisoner in Russia and Belarus in exchange for the release of eight Russians. 

The top of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s list was hit man Vadim Krasikov, who used the cover name Vadim Sokolov and was convicted by a German court for the 2019 assassination of a former Chechen commander near Berlin’s parliamentary building. 

"Krasikov is a high-ranking colonel in the elite Spetsnaz unit of the FSB," Rebekah Koffler, former DIA intelligence officer and author of "Putin’s Playbook," told Fox News Digital in reference to Russia’s intelligence agency the Federal Security Service (FSB).

BIDEN CALLS RUSSIA PRISONER SWAP DEAL THAT FREED WSJ'S GERSHKOVICH, WHELAN A 'FEAT OF DIPLOMACY'

"Krasikov is a very high-value asset who will be debriefed by the Russian security services on the operation, how he got apprehended, what he learned during the interrogations in Germany, and everything the Russians are interested in," she explained. "These debriefings will help the Russians to make improvements in their operational tradecraft for Russian intelligence."

Koffler also said it is likely the Putin operative will be used to train "would-be assassins for future operations, making them even more lethal and difficult to detect and apprehend. … Putin also wants to show to would-be recruits that he would personally get involved in getting his people out if they are caught. It’s a huge recruitment incentive."

Reuters reported that Krasikov, who was born in Kazakhstan in 1965 while it was still part of the Soviet Union, became a specialist assassin while working for the FSB, according to Bellingcat reporting. 

Despite multiple witnesses to his assassination of the Chechen commander, which was carried out in daylight, Krasikov pleaded innocent and maintained he was a St. Petersburg construction engineer visiting Berlin as a tourist who went by the name Sokolov.

Though he was never directly confirmed as an agent by Moscow, Putin indirectly spoke of Krasikov in 2023 when he expressed a desire to secure the release of someone who "eliminated a bandit in one of the European capitals."

Ukraine's Security Service helped investigators identify the Russian FSB agent after obtaining footage of the man during his second wedding held in Kharkiv in 2010. 

According to Reuters reporting, Krasikov never recognized the court during his trial and frequently refused to listen to the translation of the proceedings provided to him.

Reports have suggested the prisoner swap would not have taken place without the release of Krasikov, placing an enormous weight on the shoulders of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

"Our obligation to protect German nationals and our solidarity with the USA were important motivations," the German government said Thursday, according to a Reuters report.

President Biden also championed Germany’s efforts in the prisoner swap and said, "I particularly owe a great sense of gratitude to the chancellor."

'DANGEROUS MESSAGE': TOP REPUBLICAN RAISES CONCERNS OVER TRADING AMERICANS FOR 'ACTUAL RUSSIAN CRIMINALS'

"The demands they were making to me required me to get some significant concessions from Germany," he said. "But everybody stepped up. Poland stepped up, Slovenia stepped up, Turkey stepped up."

"It matters to have relationships. It really does," Biden added.

Among the prisoners set to return to the U.S. are Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, along with legal permanent resident Vladimir Kara-Murza.

The other 12 prisoners to be brought back from Russia are all German nationals who were held as political prisoners. 

The massive swap involved at least seven countries over a number of months to pull all the Russian prisoners requested by Moscow from the U.S., Germany, Norway, Slovenia and Poland, the White House said on Thursday.

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"There has never been, so far as we know, been an exchange involving so many countries, so many close U.S. partners and allies working together," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters.  "It's the culmination of many rounds of complex, painstaking negotiations over many, many months."

Biden called the historic swap a "a feat of diplomacy."

"Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over," he said in a statement.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was imprisoned in Russia for over 16 months, made a bold proposal before his release in a prisoner swap on Thursday, asking whether he could interview Russian President Vladimir Putin after being freed.

Gershkovich made the request while filling out a mandated official request for presidential clemency that was addressed to Putin before his release, the Wall Street Journal reported.

"The last line submitted a proposal of his own: After his release, would Putin be willing to sit down for an interview?" the Journal reported.

Gershkovich, 32, was arrested on March 29, 2023, while reporting on a trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg and was accused of espionage. The Biden administration declared him "wrongfully detained," and The Wall Street Journal and U.S. government both emphatically denied the charges, calling them absurd on their face. 

WSJ REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH RELEASED BY RUSSIA IN PRISONER SWAP; PAUL WHELAN ALSO BEING FREED

Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years at a high-security penal colony on July 19.

BIDEN CALL RUSSIA PRISONER SWAP DEAL THAT FEED WSJ'S GERSHKOVICH, WHELAN A ‘FEAT OF DIPLOMACY’

President Biden on Thursday said that Russia released 16 prisoners in the swap for eight Russians being held in the West. Among the prisoners Russia released were four Americans, including Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, five Germans and seven Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country.

"Their brutal ordeal is over, and they are free," Biden said.

Fox News’ David Rutz, Brian Flood, Timothy H.J. Nerozzi and Greg Norman contributed to this report.

Two high-profile assassinations in the Middle East prompted Iran to hold a meeting with representatives from its proxy groups to plan a response to those deaths, for which Iranian officials have blamed Israel.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, speaking Thursday at a funeral for the group’s "No.2" commander Fuad Shukr, claimed that "Israelis are happy now" but that they have "crossed a red line" and should expect "rage and revenge on all the fronts supporting Gaza," The Times of Israel reported. 

Nasrallah also claimed that Shukr’s death was an "act of war" rather than a response to the rocket attack that killed a dozen children in the Golan Heights over the weekend, for which Hezbollah continues to deny involvement, while the U.S. and Israel both laid the blame at the group’s feet. 

A U.S. official told Fox News Digital that reports of 12 warships deployed to the region over concerns for escalating tensions following the assassinations were "not true," and that "no official tasking has been given" to the vessels, which were already in the Middle East. The official noted that the ships remain spread out, with some even in ports or conducting routine operations, and that none of the vessels are near any locations of interest. 

ISRAEL'S NATIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PREPARES FOR HEZBOLLAH RESPONSE AFTER IDF STRIKE: ‘HIGH-ALERT’

Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered his forces to launch a "direct" attack against Israel, according to The New York Times, citing three Iranian officials. 

"The criminal, terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our territory and has caused our grief, but it has also prepared the ground for a severe punishment," Khamenei's English-language X account said on Wednesday. 

"Martyr Haniyeh was willing to sacrifice his honorable life in this dignified battle for many years. He was prepared for martyrdom and had sacrificed his children and loved ones on this path," Khamenei added. 

The order for a strike occurred hours before a meeting between top Iranian officials and representatives from regional allies in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen to discuss potential retaliation against Israel. 

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM CALLS ON ISRAEL TO ‘DESTROY’ IRANIAN OIL REFINERIES

The representatives hail from groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, Iraqi terror groups and the Houthi movement – all of whom the U.S. and others have said are proxies of Iran. They will meet with Khamenei and senior members of the IRGC, according to officials with knowledge of the meeting.

"Iran and the resistance members will conduct a thorough assessment after the meeting in Tehran to find the best and most effective way to retaliate against the Zionist regime (Israel)," a senior Iranian official told Reuters.

Hezbollah confirmed Shukr’s death around 24 hours after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strike on Beirut earlier this week. The U.S. State Department indicated that Shukr – for whom the U.S. had a bounty of $5 million for his involvement in the 1983 Marines barracks bombing that killed 241 U.S. military personnel – had died after succumbing to wounds sustained in the strike.

Shortly after Hezbollah suffered that significant loss, Hamas announced that its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an airstrike on his residence in Tehran after attending the inauguration of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. 

NETANYAHU SPEAKS OUT FOLLOWING DEADLY ISRAELI STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN PROXIES

The U.S. continues to deny any involvement in Haniyeh’s death and could not confirm if Israel was behind the strike. 

Israeli air force chief Tomar Bar, speaking on Wednesday at a graduation ceremony, warned that Israel will always act against those who threaten its citizens, proclaiming that "we are also strongly prepared in defense."

"Hundreds of aerial defense soldiers, along with air control personnel, are stationed across the country with the best systems, ready to carry out their mission," Bar said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following an assessment at IDF Home Front Command, shared Bar's sentiment, saying, "I am impressed by the important work that has been done up until now. Of course, we are prepared for what may come."

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"Israel is in a state of very high readiness for any scenario – on both defense and offense," Netanyahu insisted. "We will exact a very high price for any act of aggression against us from any quarter.

Fox News Digital's Yonat Friling contributed to this report. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday warned that those who attack the Jewish State will pay a "very high price" after confirming that Israel killed top Hezbollah and Hamas commanders in recent strikes.

Netanyahu held an in-depth assessment at Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command with generals and senior officers following the confirmed deaths of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas commander Muhammad Deif.

"Israel is in a state of very high readiness for any scenario – on both defense and offense," Netanyahu said. "We will exact a very high price for any act of aggression against us from any quarter whatsoever."

Shukr, who was also known as Hajj Mohsin, was behind a drone strike that killed 12 children and teens at a soccer field in the Golan Heights over the weekend. He served as a senior adviser to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah at the time he was killed in an IDF strike on Tuesday in southern Beirut.

ISRAEL CONFIRMS STRIKE ON COMPOUND IN CIVILIAN AREA OF GAZA TARGETING OCT. 7 MASTERMIND

According to the IDF, Deif initiated, planned and executed the October 7th Hamas terror attacks against Israel along with Yahya Sinwar, the top Hamas leader in Gaza. Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted 251 hostages into the Gaza Strip. Sinwar is believed to remain in hiding in Gaza. 

Israel confirmed on Thursday that Deif was killed in an IDF strike in Gaza on July 13.

Speaking on the death of Deif, Netanyahu said, "His elimination underscores a simple principle which we have set: Whoever harms us, we will harm them."

MASSACRE BY IRAN'S TERROR PROXY HEZBOLLAH COULD LEAD TO FULL-BLOWN WAR IN MIDEAST

Tensions in the Middle East were further heightened this week after Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran. Israel has not come out publicly to claim responsibility for the killing, but Iran and Hamas are accusing the Jewish state of being behind it.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said it is "Iran's duty to avenge Haniyeh's blood, because he was martyred on our soil."

Fox News’s Yonat Friling, Scott McDonald, Chris Pandolfo and Greg Norman contributed to this report.

The assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was carried out in Tehran this week using an explosive device that was hidden months ago inside the guesthouse where he was staying, a report says. 

The bomb ended up being remotely detonated around 2 a.m. local time Wednesday, killing Haniyeh and a bodyguard at the compound protected by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in the northern part of Iran’s capital, Middle Eastern officials told The New York Times. 

Haniyeh was in Tehran for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's swearing-in on Tuesday. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital about the report. 

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The New York Times that the explosive device was placed in the room where Haniyeh was staying around two months ago and was set off on Wednesday once it was confirmed that he was there. 

HAMAS LEADER ISMAIL HANIYEH IS ASSASSINATED 

They said Haniyeh had stayed at the guesthouse several times before while visiting Tehran, adding that Israeli intelligence officials later briefed their counterparts in the U.S. and other Western governments about the operation in its immediate aftermath. 

Israel has not come out publicly to claim responsibility for the killing, but Iran and Hamas are blaming the Jewish State for being behind it, according to The Associated Press. 

Three Iranian officials separately told The New York Times that the security breach that allowed the explosive device to find its way into the compound where Haniyeh was residing – which is used by the Guards for secret meetings and housing prominent guests – is a massive embarrassment to the military agency. 

IRAN’S AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI ORDERS ‘DIRECT’ ATTACK ON ISRAEL: REPORT 

It’s unclear how the bomb allegedly was stashed inside the property. 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken – when asked Wednesday about the matter – said he has "seen the reports." 

"And what I can tell you is this. First, this is something we were not aware of or involved in," Blinken said. "It’s very hard to speculate, and I’ve learned over many years never to speculate on the impact one event may have on something else. So I can’t tell you what this means.  

"I can tell you that the imperative of getting a ceasefire," in Gaza, "the importance that that has for everyone, remains," he also said. 

Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report. 

The long-awaited arrival of U.S.-made F-16s have allegedly landed in Ukraine, officials said Wednesday, a move that will help Kyiv revive its air capabilities in its war against Russia. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly emphasized his country’s need for superior air support and aircraft since Russia invaded more than two years ago. 

Despite international willingness to provide warplanes to Kyiv, the U.S. previously refused its F-16 technology over concerns it could escalate the war beyond Ukraine’s borders – a similar position it took with other wartime capabilities like long-range ATACMS missile systems and Abrams M1 tanks before Washington again capitulated. 

KAMALA HARRIS' FOREIGN POLICY CHOPS QUESTIONED: WHAT HAS SHE DONE, WHERE HAS SHE BEEN?

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, an ardent supporter of Kyiv, took to X to confirm the delivery and said, "F-16s in Ukraine. Another impossible thing turned out to be totally possible."

Despite multiple reports citing U.S. intelligence officials, neither the Pentagon nor Ukrainian defense officials have officially confirmed that the sorely needed warplanes have been delivered.

Kyiv’s push to keep the F-16 arrival a secret is not a surprising decision given the security challenges the planes will prove for the war-torn state. 

Ukrainian pilots have been training on F-16 systems in the U.S. and in Europe as they look to roll out a new defense with the modern warplanes.

However, Ukraine will also need to secure the planes while they remain on the ground as they are expected to be a top target for Russian forces looking to destroy the F-16s. 

RUSSIA HAS OVERRUN 2 MORE EASTERN DONETSK VILLAGES, UKRAINIAN TROOPS REPORT

When asked about the arrival of the F-16s by reporters Wednesday, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said, "I'm certainly not going to talk about weapons capabilities." 

"We have said, and said at the NATO summit, that the process of providing F-16s to Ukraine continues to move forward," he added. "We said that they will be operational by the end of the summer. We have no reason to doubt that."

Zelenskyy has long emphasized the important role F-16s would serve in bolstering Ukraine’s air defenses as Russia continues to pummel the country with drone and missile strikes. 

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"Last night alone, almost 90 ‘Shahed’ drones were shot down," Zelenskyy said in a Wednesday address to the nation.  "This is a serious result. I thank everyone for their precision: our mobile fire groups, fighter aircraft crews, anti-aircraft gunners, electronic warfare specialists — everyone."

"You have done an excellent job in the skies across many of our regions," he added. "It is also crucial to increase Ukraine's skies defense capabilities."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Russia is releasing former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan as part of a prisoner exchange that also secured freedom for Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Fox News Digital has learned. 

Whelan had been wrongfully detained by Russian authorities for more than five years, according to the U.S. State Department. His release is part of a massive swap of political prisoners and journalists involving the United States and Germany. 

Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan and former U.S. Marine, has been jailed in Russia since his December 2018 arrest on espionage-related charges that both he and the U.S. government dispute. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. 

WSJ REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH BEING RELEASED BY RUSSIA IN PRISONER SWAP

"We've made clear to the Russians our expectation that we will learn more about the charges, come to understand what it is he's been accused of and if the detention is not appropriate we will demand his immediate return," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the time.

Whelan was given a bad conduct discharge in 2008 after he was convicted on charges that included using fake documents and attempting to steal thousands of dollars while on duty in Iraq. He had been visiting Russia since at least 2007 and had spent more than a decade cultivating friends and contacts in the country. His family insisted Whelan was in Russia for tourism when he was arrested.

BIDEN MEETS WITH PAUL WHELAN'S SISTER AT WHITE HOUSE AFTER RUSSIA AGAIN REFUSES RELEASE OF FORMER MARINE

"My brother is not a spy," Whelan’s brother David said shortly after his arrest. "Paul's background is in law enforcement. He has military experience, he's in corporate security."

Experts believe his arrest was the Kremlin’s response to the U.S. imprisonment of a Russian citizen. Maria Butina pleaded guilty in 2018 to a U.S. federal charge of conspiracy to act as a foreign agent. Butina had provided information to Russia’s government on key U.S. political figures.

US MARINE VETERAN PAUL WHELAN JAILED IN RUSSIA ATTACKED IN PRISON, FAMILY SAYS

In November, Whelan's family said he was attacked by a fellow prisoner on a production line in a labor camp. 

Gershkovich, 32, was detained in March 2023 while on a reporting trip to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, about 1,200 miles east of Moscow. He was accused of espionage and has been detained ever since. A Moscow court last month again rejected his appeal for pre-trial release, extending his detention to at least Jan. 30, 2024. 

The Biden administration declared him "wrongfully detained" and The Wall Street Journal and U.S. government both emphatically denied the charges, calling them absurd on their face. 

At least two U.S. citizens arrested in Russia in recent years, including WNBA star Brittney Griner, have been exchanged for Russians jailed in the U.S.

Fox News' Bret Baier and Amy Munneke, as well as Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Authorities have identified the 17-year-old suspect accused of killing three children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in the United Kingdom.

Judge Andrew Menary ruled Thursday that suspect Axel Rudakubana's identity could be revealed despite being a minor. Rudakubana will turn 18 in six days, according to local reports. 

"Whilst I accept it is exceptional given his age, principally because he is 18 in six days' time, I do not make an order under section 45," the judge said, according to Sky News.

CLASHES BREAK OUT IN ENGLISH TOWN AFTER MURDER OF 3 GIRLS IN MASS STABBING, 17-YEAR-OLD MALE FACING CHARGES

He added, "Continuing to prevent the full reporting has the disadvantage of allowing others to spread misinformation, in a vacuum."

British law typically prevents authorities from revealing the identity of criminal suspects under the age of 18.

Rudakubana is accused of carrying out a stabbing spree at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class for young children, police say.

UK STABBING SPREE LEAVES 2 KIDS DEAD, 9 OTHERS INJURED AT TAYLOR SWIFT-THEMED EVENT: 'DEEPLY SHOCKING'

Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said six of the children injured in the attack that happened around noon in Southport — a town north of Liverpool — are in critical condition, while two adults have been critically injured as well.

"It is understood that the children were attending a Taylor Swift event at a dance school when the offender, armed with a knife, walked into the premises and started to attack inside," Kennedy said. "We believe that the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who are being attacked."

The deceased victims have been identified as Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9; Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7; and Bebe King, 6.

Southport was the scene of clashes between protesters and police the day after the murder spree. 

North West Ambulance Services reported via X that 22 police officers have been treated, and at least 11 have been taken to the hospital in the wake of the Southport riots. At least one police van has been set ablaze by the crowds. A source describes the town as "quiet."

Fox News Digital's Jasmine Baehr and Greg Norman contributed to this report.

Israel’s national emergency medical service is preparing for a response from Hezbollah after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted and killed Fuad Shukr, a senior leader of the terrorist group, in Beirut.

The IDF strike Tuesday was in retaliation for a rocket attack over the weekend that killed 12 Israeli children and teens on a soccer field in Majdal Shams, a predominantly Druze town in Israel's Golan Heights.

Despite confirmations from the IDF and the U.S., Hezbollah only confirmed his death on Wednesday, the same day as Hamas' terror leader Ismail Haniyeh met a similar fate.

MASSACRE BY IRAN'S TERROR PROXY HEZBOLLAH COULD LEAD TO FULL-BLOWN WAR IN MIDEAST

Aryeh Myers, a paramedic with Magen David Adom (MDA), told Fox News Digital in an interview that the emergency medical service is on high alert and has ambulances and volunteers ready to go should further attacks break out. 

"So tonight, obviously we've been put, again, on high alert due to the incidents that have been happening in Lebanon," he said following the assassination of Shukr on Tuesday.

US EMBASSY IN LEBANON TELLS AMERICANS TO ‘LEAVE BEFORE A CRISIS BEGINS'

"We're always preparing for multi-casualty events, mass casualty events, whether that's terror attacks, whether that's war, whether that's earthquakes, whatever it might be."

Myers said since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led terror attack in southern Israel, where more than 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities, a new project was launched to give civilians training to provide an initial medical response in emergency situations.

The Magen Project, which translates to defense or protection, seeks to involve members of the community who can quickly respond to fast-moving events.

"We've had people throughout the war who have just come to do, again, some basic training with us to give them basic lifesaving skills, whether that's how to stop bleeding, how to do CPR, whatever it is," Myers told Fox News Digital.

"So, should something happen close by, they'll be able to respond, and they respond with equipment that we provide for them, with training that we've trained them, with vehicles that we've provided as well, whether those are ambulances, rapid response vehicles, all sorts of different vehicles that allow them to reach the scene as quickly as possible, start treating the casualties even before the ambulances themselves have arrived."

REAL-LIFE AMERICAN COWBOYS RIDE IN TO HELP ISRAELI FARMERS UNDER SEIGE AFTER HAMAS TERROR ATTACKS

MDA, which Myers says has roughly 33,000 volunteers, makes sure that its emergency vehicles are manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

In the wake of Oct. 7, communities have stepped up their preparedness for future attacks. Doctors, nurses and EMTs have sought out further levels of training to deal with trauma patients. 

Israel also just wrapped up a three-day national drill preparing for the possibility of a complete blackout.

More communities now have civilians with some medical knowledge who can provide initial care, while emergency services take time to respond. 

"We want to make sure that we have teams, community-based teams everywhere across the country, who can deal with issues as and when they arise," Myers said.

Israel claimed on Thursday that it killed Hamas’ top military commander, Mohammad Deif, during a strike earlier in July. 

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it launched a strike in Gaza on July 13 while targeting two top Hamas leaders. Deif, who the IDF said was the mastermind behind the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, was one of the targets. 

"Mohammed Deif, the top military commander of Hamas, was the target of an Israeli strike today in al-Mawasi," two Israeli sources told Fox News Digital after the attack. 

There was no confirmation of Deif’s death until Thursday.

ISRAEL CONFIRMS STRIKE ON COMPOUND IN CIVILIAN AREA OF GAZA TARGETING OCT. 7 MASTERMIND

"Muhammad Deif, the ‘Osama Bin Laden of Gaza,’ was eliminated on 13.07.24," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement. "This is a significant milestone in the process of dismantling Hamas as a military and governing authority in Gaza, and in the achievement of the goals of this war."

According to the IDF, Deif initiated, planned and executed the October 7th terror attacks along with Yahya Sinwar, the top Hamas leader in Gaza. Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted 251 hostages into the Gaza Strip. Sinwar is believed to remain in hiding in Gaza. 

MILITARY OFFICIAL SAYS NO US INVOLVEMENT IN STRIKE OF SENIOR HAMAS LEADER IN TEHRAN

"Over the years, Deif directed, planned, and carried out numerous terrorist attacks against the State of Israel," the IDF said. "Deif operated side-by-side with Yahya Sinwar, and during the war, he commanded Hamas' terrorist activity in the Gaza Strip by issuing commands and instructions to senior members of Hamas' Military Wing." 

Israel on Tuesday said that it killed Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah commander in Lebanon. On Wednesday, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was reportedly assassinated while he was in Tehran, Iran.

WHITE HOUSE CAN'T SAY WHAT ASSASSINATION OF TOP HAMAS LEADER COULD MEAN FOR GAZA CEASEFIRE DEAL

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for Wednesday's strike in Tehran that killed Haniyeh. 

The assassinations of Hamas' two most senior leaders is a victory for Israel, which has promised to continue the war in Gaza until Hamas' military capabilities are eliminated. However, the strikes further complicate ceasefire negotiations pushed for by the Biden-Harris administration. Iran has vowed revenge for the strike that killed Haniyeh. 

In its 10-month-old campaign of bombardment and offensives in Gaza, Israel has killed some 39,480 Palestinians and wounded more than 91,100 others, according to the Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry, whose count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. More than 80% of the population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes, the vast majority crammed into tent camps in the southwest corner of the territory, with limited food and water.

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Deif was one of the founders of Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, in the 1990s and led the unit for decades. Under his command, it carried out dozens of suicide bombings against Israelis on buses and at cafes and built up a formidable arsenal of rockets that could strike deep into Israel and often did.

Deif operated behind the scenes in Gaza and never appeared in public. He was seldom photographed and his voice only rarely heard in audio statements. He had survived several Israeli assassination attempts before his ultimate demise in July. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Israel claimed on Thursday that it killed Hamas’ top military commander, Muhammad Deif, during a strike earlier in July. 

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it launched a strike in Gaza on July 13 while targeting two top Hamas leaders. Deif, who the IDF said was the mastermind behind the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, was one of the targets.

ISRAEL CONFIRMS STRIKE ON COMPOUND IN CIVILIAN AREA OF GAZA TARGETING OCT. 7 MASTERMIND

"Mohammed Deif, the top military commander of Hamas, was the target of an Israeli strike today in al-Mawasi," two Israeli sources told Fox News Digital after the attack. 

There was no confirmation of Deif’s death until Thursday.

Israel on Tuesday said that it killed Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah commander in Lebanon. On Wednesday, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was reportedly assassinated while he was in Tehran, Iran.

This is a developing story.