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As the Israeli Knesset prepares to debate legislation aimed at severing ties with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), U.S. pressure on Israeli lawmakers is said to be mounting against the bill. 

Fox News Digital has learned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leaders, including Benny Gantz, Yair Lapid and Avigdor Lieberman, have received requests from U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jacob Lew to halt the proposed laws.

The current legislation seeks to end all relations between UNRWA and the Jewish state, including diplomatic visas granted to UNRWA workers and other services provided by the State of Israel. 

"There is a difference between dialogue and pressure," Yulia Malinovsky said about the alleged interference from the ambassador. Malinovsky is a Knesset member from the Yisrael Beiteinu party and one of the authors of the legislation.

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

She told Fox News Digital, "UNRWA is a terrorist organization, and Hamas is an integral part of it. Its existence perpetuates the conflict." 

She expressed commitment to ensuring the legislation moves forward, claiming, "Around half of UNRWA employees are affiliated with Hamas, and the first weapons found in UNRWA were back in 2014. They were involved in the October 7 Massacre. This agency is part of the problem perpetuating the status of refugees to benefit its workers."

The Biden administration sent a letter to Israeli leaders last week demanding that Israel take steps within 30 days to improve the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza or risk the supply of U.S. weapons to Israel, according to a copy of the letter published by Axios. In the letter, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stressed that passing the law against UNRWA would be devastating for the humanitarian effort in the Gaza Strip at a critical time and would prevent education and welfare services for tens of thousands of Palestinians in Jerusalem. 

They emphasized this could also constitute a violation of U.S. laws.

"As a matter of policy, we do not comment on private diplomatic conversations," a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital regarding telephone calls said to have been made by the U.S. ambassador to Israeli politicians.

However, the spokesperson noted the involvement of UNRWA personnel on Oct. 7 was "reprehensible," leading the U.S. to halt funding and "calling for those involved to be held accountable and for UNRWA reforms to address serious concerns about its facilities and personnel being involved in terrorist activities. 

MORE COUNTRIES CUT FUNDING TO UN AGENCY AFTER STAFFERS ACCUSED OF PARTICIPATING IN OCT. 7 HAMAS ATTACK

"At the same time," they added, "UNRWA provides vital services in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Jordan — including humanitarian assistance, health benefits and sanitation. Pending legislation would make it impossible for UNRWA to operate and would leave a vacuum that Israel would then be responsible for filling. Adding to the humanitarian crisis that already exists would undermine stability and security for Israel and the region."

Earlier this month at the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Ambassador to the world body Linda Thomas-Greenfield made clear the Biden Administration's concerns over the pending legislation, telling council members that, "We are following with deep concern the Israeli legislative proposal that could alter UNRWA’s legal status, hindering its ability to communicate with Israeli officials, and removing privileges and immunities afforded to U.N. organizations and personnel around the globe."

These concerns follow mounting criticism from various countries and the United Nations, which has blamed Israel for a dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where nearly 2 million people have been displaced since the war began.

Despite U.S. pressure, opposition leader Yair Lapid said in a statement to Fox News Digital, "UNRWA played an active role in the brutal massacre on October 7. From its institutions, terrorist attacks against Israel were launched, hostages were held, and young women were raped." 

Lapid has supported the closure of UNRWA since 2013, maintaining his position amid diplomatic pressure.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT BACKS UN CLAIM RELIEF WORKERS ACCUSED OF AIDING HAMAS ARE IMMUNE

Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, also made his stance clear after the issue was brought up by the U.S. ambassador, telling Fox News Digital, "Messages were received, but I firmly refuse. This law is critical for Israel’s security, and it will be brought forward."

He expressed full support for his party member's initiative, reiterating that the law aims to disconnect Israel from an organization linked to terrorism.

Prime Minister Netanyahu's office told Fox News Digital it was confirmed that "the proposed law has not been taken off the table and is being discussed in the Knesset."

The Israeli Shin Bet, Israel's security agency, stated in a discussion last week in the Knesset that "UNRWA is a threat to Israel's national security." 

Jonathan Conricus, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and a retired lieutenant colonel from the IDF, said, "As an Israeli, I fail to comprehend Israel's policy or lack thereof towards the organization. Legislators and diplomats raise concerns about why they donate money to UNRWA, allow personnel to be sent and grant diplomatic protection. This Israeli legislation is the bare minimum required.

"Eventually, for a better reality in the Middle East, UNRWA needs to be dismantled in its entirety from Gaza and all other places of activity."

The parents of Yonatan Samerano, whose son's body is being held in Gaza by Hamas terrorists said in a statement, "In recent days, there has been pressure from the U.S. on members of the government to oppose the bill by Yulia Malinovsky, Dan Illouz and Yoav Bismuth to expel UNRWA from Israel." 

The statement from Kobi and Eilat Samerano continued. "We call on all government members to urgently pass the law in the Knesset. Otherwise, you are complicit in the kidnapping of our son, Yonatan Samerano, who was abducted by a UNRWA employee. Over a hundred UNRWA employees participated in the massacre on that cursed day, and your surrender to diplomatic pressure makes you accomplices to the massacre."

Although supporters of the legislation are from different political parties, some members of the Israeli government have expressed hesitance about passing the legislation, labeling it "extreme" and suggesting it be delayed until after the upcoming U.S. elections.

Police said it was "one of the best-selling pizzas."

German police on Monday raided a popular pizzeria in Düsseldorf accused of serving cocaine as a side dish.

Local police launched an investigation into the restaurant after food inspectors tipped off authorities, BBC reported, citing criminal director Michael Graf von Moltke.

Police arrested the 36-year-old pizzeria manager at his apartment. Upon arrival, police said the manager threw a bag of drugs out the window which "fell right into the arms of the police officers" below.

GERMAN CUSTOMS SEIZE 4.5 TONS OF COCAINE DISGUISED AS SOYBEANS, WORTH $1.1 BILLION

Officers said they found more than 3 pounds of cocaine, around 400 grams of marijuana, and the equivalent of nearly $290,000.

GERMAN POLICE WARN OF ‘BLUE PUNISHER’ ECSTASY PILL FOLLOWING 2 TEEN DEATHS

Police said the manager was later released from custody and started selling his popular pizza again.

Further investigation of the restaurant led German authorities to bust a drug ring around the City of Düsseldorf. Officers uncovered two cannabis plantations where they seized around 360 plants. Weapons, money, and luxury watches were also seized.

AUSTRIA POLICE TO INCREASE BORDER CHECKS AFTER GERMANY LEGALIZES CANNABIS

The investigation also resulted in the homes and businesses of a dozen suspects being raided.

Three people were arrested, including a 22-year-old who was suspected of leading the operation.

Police rearrested the pizzeria manager while he was trying to flee the country. He remains in custody.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Düsseldorf police for updates.

Authorities in Canada are investigating what led to the death of a 19-year-old Walmart employee who was found inside a walk-in oven in the store's bakery department.

The Halifax Police Department released a statement regarding the Oct. 19 incident inside the Canadian Walmart store.

Officers were called to the store, located at 6990 Mumford Road in Halifax, around 9:30 p.m. to investigate the sudden death of a 19-year-old woman whose body was found inside the large walk-in oven.

Officials said that they have not yet reached a point where the cause and manner of death have been confirmed.

MAN DIES IN FREAK ACCIDENT INVOLVING FROZEN HAMBURGERS: 'DIFFICULT TO HEAR'

"The investigation is complex and involves several partner agencies. An investigation of this nature may take a significant amount of time," the Halifax Police Department said in a statement.

The woman’s identity has not been released. However, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) first reported that the woman was a member of the local Sikh community.

IDENTITY OF 'BADLY DECOMPOSED' BODY FOUND IN OHIO CAR WASH RELEASED: REPORT

A spokesperson from Walmart sent a statement to the CBC stating that the store is "temporarily closed as we co-operate fully with the investigation."

The company added that it was also providing access to 24/7 virtual care to employees and providing on-site support, including grief counseling. 

DEATH OF SOUTH CAROLINA PASTOR'S WIFE UNDER INVESTIGATION AS HER FAMILY WARNS OF 'FALSE' STORIES: REPORT

Balbir Singh, the secretary of the Maritime Sikh Society, told the CBC on Tuesday that the society has been in touch with the mother of the 19-year-old victim and learned that the woman and her mother are originally from India and came to Canada two to three years ago.

"It's a really tragic incident and everybody is deeply hurt by this, and we are waiting for the police investigation to come out," said Singh. "We would like to know what happened to this young woman."

Police are encouraging the public to be mindful of opinions circulating about the investigation.

"We urge the public to be mindful of sharing speculative information on social media. Please be aware of the impacts that speculation could have on family, colleagues and loved ones of the woman," police said. 

A woman in Australia became stuck upside down between a pair of boulders for seven hours after falling into a crevice while trying to retrieve her dropped phone. 

Photos released by New South Wales Ambulance show the woman’s feet sticking out between the rocks as first responders came to her rescue. 

"In my 10 years as a rescue paramedic I had never encountered a job quite like this, it was challenging but incredibly rewarding," the agency quoted first responder Peter Watts as saying. 

NSW Ambulance said the woman got herself trapped in the Hunter Valley "after slipping into a 3-meter [9-foot] crevice, wedged between two boulders while trying to retrieve her phone." 

KING CHARLES HECKLED BY AUSTRALIAN LAWMAKER: ‘YOU ARE NOT MY KING’ 

Officials were called to the scene after the woman’s friends dialed an emergency telephone number following several failed attempts to save her themselves. 

Crews that arrived managed to free the woman through a tight "S" bend over the span of an hour and moved an 1,100-pound boulder in the process, according to NSW Ambulance. 

MAN STUMBLES ACROSS GEM WORTH THOUSANDS HIDDEN IN DIRT: ‘IT’S LIKE NOTHING ELSE’ 

"The patient was safely freed seven hours after her ordeal began with only minor scratches and bruises," NSW Ambulance said. 

Watts said "we all worked incredibly well together to achieve a good outcome for the patient." 

However, her phone wasn’t able to be retrieved. 

Construction workers came across an "exceptionally preserved" marble statue during a job in the city of Varna in Bulgaria. 

The Varna Regional Museum of History announced the find in a Facebook post on Oct. 15, 2024, which included photos of the discovery.

The statue, slightly taller than a human, according to the post, was found in Varna, the ancient city Odessa, and displayed a middle-aged man with a short beard, dressed in a Roman toga and holding a scroll. 

IRISH FARMER FINDS NEAR 60-POUND SLAB OF ANCIENT BOG BUTTER ON HIS LAND BY ‘PURE LUCK’

An inscription on a pedestal read the name, G(ai) Marie Hermogen, according to the Varna Regional Museum of History. 

The toga the man was clothed in was an indication that the individual had close ties to Roman authorities during his time, according to the Facebook post. 

The marble statue from the Roman era had undergone very little damage, with just the right wrist missing, and slight damage to the face, the Varna Regional Museum of History reported. 

ROMAN-ERA GRAVES FOUND BY HOMEOWNER DURING BASEMENT RENOVATION PROJECT

The statue was found outside the fortress walls. Upon finding the ancient piece, construction contractor Georgi Kraychev quickly reported the discovery to the museum, the Facebook post states. 

This past summer, archaeologists discovered another statue in Bulgaria. This one was discovered close to Bulgaria's southeastern border with Greece. 

The statue was discovered in July 2024. It was covered with dirt around 2,000 years ago, Fox News Digital previously reported. The statue of the ancient Greek god Hermes is 7 feet tall.

This particular find was discovered during excavation of an ancient Roman sewer in the city of Heraclea Sintica, Fox News Digital reported. 

Ukraine on Monday blasted United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for allegedly accepting an invitation to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week during the international BRICS summit.

Fox News Digital could not immediately reach the U.N. for comment on the meeting, but the Ukrainian foreign ministry took to X to voice their displeasure with the supposed meeting, which is set for Thursday and was first announced by Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov, according to multiple reports.  

"The U.N. Secretary General declined Ukraine's invitation to the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. He did, however, accept the invitation to Kazan from war criminal Putin," the Ukrainian foreign ministry said.

"This is a wrong choice that does not advance the cause of peace," the ministry added. "It only damages the U.N.'s reputation."

The U.N. has not confirmed the meeting and in response to questions on Monday from reporters, deputy spokesman for the secretary-general Farhan Haq said, "Announcements on his future travels will be later on down the line."

CHINA-DOMINATED BLOC OFFERS IRAN, SAUDI ARABIA MEMBERSHIP IN MOVE THAT SEEKS TO UNDERMINE US

The meeting will be the first between Putin and Guterres in over two years amid the Kremlin’s illegal war in Ukraine, and will occur on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, which is being hosted by Russia in its southwestern city of Kazan, some 500 miles east of Moscow. 

BRICS, which stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is an intergovernmental body that was established in 2009 to counter Western influence and bolster economic partnerships. The bloc has expanded to include another five nations, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The 10 BRICS countries now make up over a quarter of the global economy and nearly half of the world’s population, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. 

Delegates from another two dozen countries will also be in attendance this week, with many nations looking to join the bloc as well, including NATO ally Turkey, which petitioned for membership last month.

Leaders from 22 nations are set to attend the conference and Putin is reportedly scheduled to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, followed by Wednesday meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, confirmed Reuters.

AUSTIN WARNS 'NO SILVER BULLET' TO DEFEAT PUTIN AS US AID HANGS IN BALANCE AHEAD OF ELECTIONS

The meeting between Putin and Erdoğan is expected to be closely monitored by Western nations, which have grown increasingly weary of Turkey as its leader has looked to broaden ties with Moscow amid the war in Ukraine despite NATO’s fervent condemnation of the invasion. 

Reports have suggested Turkey is looking to now join the BRICS partnership – which is increasingly dominated by top NATO adversaries like Russia, China and Iran, with a potential North Korea membership on the horizon – due to its frustration over the refusal by the European Union to grant Ankara membership. 

Though not all world leaders attending the summit this week appear as ambivalent toward Western ties as some, including Modi who has attempted to toe the geopolitical line when it comes to India’s position over the controversial war in Ukraine.

Modi reportedly spoke with Putin ahead of the summit and reiterated that India was ready to see an end to the brutal war through "peaceful means."

Though New Delhi remains the world’s largest buyer of Russian arms, Modi traveled in August to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenksyy.

Not all BRICS leaders will attend the summit. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday canceled his trip to Kazan at the advice of medical officials following an injury at home that resulted in a minor brain hemorrhage, reported Reuters. 

Lula da Silva is now expected to attend the summit by video conference. 

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel also reportedly bowed out over medical reasons related to "serious energy levels." 

An Iranian plot to assassinate a "senior Israeli scientist and a mayor of a major Israeli city" has been busted, with seven suspects from Jerusalem being taken into custody, officials say. 

The individuals from Jerusalem’s Beit Safafa neighborhood – who also were tasked with bombing a police car and throwing a grenade at a house -- were promised a $53,000 payment for their efforts, according to a joint statement from Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, and the Israeli Police. 

"These individuals, under Iranian direction, planned to assassinate a senior Israeli scientist and a mayor of a major Israeli city," the statement said. 

"An investigation revealed an Iranian intelligence network aiming to recruit Israeli citizens for missions in Israel," it added. "A 23-year-old suspect from Jerusalem was in contact with a foreign agent, recruiting others for tasks like graffiti spraying, vehicle arson in Ein Kerem, and intelligence gathering." 

ISRAEL BREAKS UP IRANIAN SPY RING, ARRESTS 7 OF ITS OWN CITIZENS 

Israeli officials say the suspects were arrested near the scientist’s home after photographing it in exchange for around $132, as part of the leadup to the assassination attempt. 

"Searches revealed 50,000 shekels, a fake police license plate, and numerous credit cards," the officials added, noting that "charges for serious security offenses" are expected to be filed.

A senior Shin Bet official said "Scientists, mayors, security officials, and other prominent Israelis are targets for Iranian agents" and that the investigation "underscores Iran’s efforts to recruit Israeli citizens for terrorism." 

BLINKEN ARRIVES IN ISRAEL AS BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION FACES SCRUTINY OVER COMPROMISING JERUSALEM’S SECURITY 

The arrests come after Israeli security agencies on Monday said they had uncovered and stopped an Iranian spy ring operating out of northern Israel. 

Those seven suspects, residents of Haifa and other areas across northern Israel, are suspected of gathering intelligence on Israeli military bases, including air force and naval installations, as well as Israel’s infamous Iron Dome defense system. 

The accused are also suspected of relaying information to Iranian intelligence on Israel’s critical energy infrastructure, including its largest power station in Hadera – a tactic that could suggest Iran may look to utilize a strategy long held by its top ally Russia, which has frequently targeted Ukraine's energy systems. 

According to Shin Bet, the spy network provided Iranian intelligence agents with critical information using sophisticated equipment to photograph sensitive locations in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars, some made using cryptocurrency, reported Israeli news agency TPS. 

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report. 

JERUSALEM — Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday amid a major security breach involving the publication of Jerusalem’s plans to launch a counterstrike against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The documents first appeared online Friday via a channel on Telegram, claiming they had been leaked by someone in the U.S. intelligence community, then later the U.S. Department of Defense. The information appeared entirely gathered through the use of satellite image analysis.

Blinken seeks to establish a cease-fire in Gaza and an end to the war against the U.S.-designated terrorist movement Hezbollah in Lebanon. His visit comes days after the Iranian-backed Hezbollah organization launched a drone strike to assassinate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his private residence in Caesarea.

ISRAEL’S UN AMBASSADOR: RESPONSE TO IRAN WILL BE ‘VERY PAINFUL'

Hezbollah joined Hamas a day after the Gaza-based terrorist organization invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Iran’s regime—the world’s worst state-sponsor of terrorism, according to the U.S. State Department—sponsors both Hamas and Hezbollah. Tehran launched a massive missile barrage on Oct. 1 into the Jewish state.

The leak of Israel’s plan against Iran has sparked national security alarm bells among leading Israeli and American analysts.

Amit Segal, chief political analyst of Israel's Channel 12, told Fox News Digital, "There is a reason why Israel avoided informing the U.S. in advance about the elimination of Nasrallah and the pagers operation. This reason is the systematic prior leaking of Israeli operations over the past year. There is real concern in Israel about the implications of its secrets being publicly revealed in a way that serves its enemies."

In September, Israel launched a targeted strike killing Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

IDF VIDEO: ISRAELI TANK FIRES AT BUILDING WHERE HAMAS LEADER YAHYA SINWAR WAS BARRICADED BEFORE BEING KILLED

Richard Goldberg, a former National Security Council official during the Trump administration, told Fox News Digital, "The leak itself and the potential for more leaks yet to come is a national security crisis for the United States. We don’t yet have confirmation of who leaked this and why, but the event needs to force a systemic review of who has access to intelligence and how we protect against political and ideological radicalization among those with access to top secret information."

Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, added, "Clearly there is a top-down policy in place to constrain, cajole and sometimes threaten Israel via a range of tactics, but we need to be clear-eyed that pro-Hamas and pro-Iran propaganda amplified by President Biden, Vice President Harris and certain white nationalist influencers can have consequences in radicalizing elements of our society against Israel and Jews."

White House National Security Council communications adviser John Kirby said on Monday that President Biden was "deeply concerned" by the alleged possible leak of U.S. intelligence material regarding Israel’s war planning against the clerical regime in Tehran.

The leaked U.S. intelligence documents will likely be a topic on Netanyahu's agenda with Blinken as he makes his 11th trip to the Middle East since Hamas slaughtered nearly 1,200 people on Oct. 7, including more than 40 Americans.

Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Hezbollah launched a missile attack on central Israel on Tuesday, sending residents fleeing to shelters but causing no apparent damage or injuries, the Israeli authorities said.

The terrorist group fired five projectiles from within Lebanon into Israel, the Israeli military said, adding that most were intercepted by Israel’s missile defense system while one landed in an open area. Israeli police said there were no reports of damage or injury following the rocket barrage.

Meanwhile, Israel targeted a Hezbollah naval base in Beirut overnight, the Israeli military said Tuesday, as Iran worked to rally Gulf Arab nations ahead of a potential retaliatory strike from the Jewish State.

The Hezbollah naval base held a training center, an area to conduct experiments and military speedboats that were intended to be used in attacks on Israeli navy vessels and targets within Israel’s territorial waters, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

HEZBOLLAH HIDING MORE THAN $500M IN GOLD, CASH UNDER HOSPITAL IN LEBANON, IDF SAYS

Israel also conducted strikes on Hezbollah weapons storage facilities, command centers and additional terrorist targets in Beirut, some of which were located underground, the IDF said.

Israel took steps to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including issuing precise and advanced warnings to civilians in the area before launching the strikes, according to the IDF.

The strikes come as speculation grows over how Israel will retaliate for Tehran’s Oct. 1 ballistic missile attack on Israel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted Tehran’s neighbors wouldn’t allow their territory to be used for such an assault and that it would strike back just as hard.

HEZBOLLAH GENERATES FUNDS FOR ACTIVITIES UNDER THE GUISE OF A NON-PROFIT: ISRAELI OFFICIALS

"All the neighbors assured us that they will not allow their lands and air to be used against Iran," Araghchi said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. "This is an expectation from all friendly and neighboring countries and we consider this a sign of friendship."

Gulf Arab nations have not made any public pledges like those described by Araghchi.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday just hours after Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into central Israel as the U.S. looks to revive cease-fire efforts after the killing of top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

China’s military is conducting live-fire drills near Taiwan and is warning ships to avoid the area Tuesday following a massive exercise last week that left the U.S. "seriously concerned." 

The drills near the Pingtan islands off China’s southern Fujian province facing Taiwan are being tracked by the Taiwan Defense Ministry. 

"It cannot be ruled out that it is one of the ways to expand the deterrent effect in line with the dynamics in the Taiwan Strait," the Ministry said in a statement, adding that China’s drills are part of an annual exercise. 

Last week, China held a one-day military exercise aimed at practicing the "sealing off of key ports and key areas." Taiwan counted a record one-day total of 153 aircraft, 14 navy vessels and 12 Chinese government ships. 

ENCIRCLING TAIWAN WAS A SMOKESCREEN FOR CHINA’S REAL GOAL OF CONVINCING US NOT TO INTERVENE, EXPERT SAYS 

China’s Defense Ministry said those drills were a response to the Taiwanese president’s refusal to accept Beijing’s demand that self-governed Taiwan acknowledge itself as a part of the People’s Republic of China under the rule of the Communist Party.  

Taiwan's premier, Cho Jung-tai, then called on China to stop its exercises. 

"Like all democratic countries in the world, we believe that China’s military exercises are a threat to regional peace and stability. Regardless of the scale of the exercise, China’s military exercises should not frequently approach Taiwan to make meaningless declarations," he said. 

CHINA SURROUNDS TAIWAN IN MILITARY EXERCISE AGAINST INDEPENDENCE 

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller also said "The United States is seriously concerned by the People’s Liberation Army joint military drills in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan." 

"We call on the PRC to act with restraint and to avoid any further actions that may undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the broader region, which is essential to regional peace and prosperity and a matter of international concern," Miller added. "We continue to monitor PRC activities and coordinate with allies and partners regarding our shared concerns." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A student partying in Majorca, Spain, was likely crushed to death in a garbage truck and then incinerated at a waste disposal plant after falling into a garbage bin, according to police.

Agostina Rubini Medina, 24, was missing for nearly three weeks after she disappeared during a night out with her friends in Palma, the capital city of the island of Majorca, according to The U.S. Sun.

Spain's National Police have a theory that Medina fell into a garbage bin while attempting to retrieve an item such as her cellphone and passed out before she and the garbage were dumped into a garbage truck, crushed in the truck's garbage compactor and eventually dropped into an incinerator.

ITALIAN SURFER DIES IN FREAK ACCIDENT AFTER SWORDFISH IMPALES HER WHILE SURFING IN INDONESIA

A worker at a shop near a bus stop on Medina's route home said the girl was visibly drunk and had purchased a bag of chips from the shop shortly before midnight.

A short time later, a witness told police they saw Medina's handbag and blouse sitting by a large garbage bin about 15 minutes before workers arrived to empty it.

AMERICAN REPORTEDLY KIDNAPPED IN PHILIPPINE COASTAL TOWN; POLICE INVESTIGATING

Tracking data showed Medina's phone was at that location for around a half hour before it moved to the incineration plant and died, which matches travel records from the garbage truck, according to the New York Post.

Authorities say she was likely killed in the truck before it arrived at the plant.

Police later discovered human skeletal remains at the incinerator plant and have sent them off for DNA testing to determine if they belong to Medina.

Medina was a thin woman with a low tolerance for alcohol and was on medication, police said, adding that this may have caused her to pass out.

An Italian woman surfing an island break off the west coast of Sumatra died in a freak accident when a swordfish impaled her, according to reports.

The Antara News Agency in Indonesia reported that 36-year-old Giulia Manfrini was surfing in the waters of Masokut Island in the Mentawai Islands, just off the west coast of Sumatra, when she was stabbed by the bill of a swordfish.

Acting head of the Mentawai Islands' Disaster Management Agency, Lahmudin Siregar, told the news outlet that his agency was notified about the accident involving an Italian citizen who was surfing.

He said Manfrini was hunting waves in the waters of Ombak Bengbeng, Masokut Island in the Southwest Siberut District.

CALIFORNIA MAN SURVIVES SHARK ATTACK BY REPORTEDLY PUNCHING PREDATOR 'INSIDE ITS MOUTH'

"Unexpectedly, a swordfish jumped toward Manfrini and stuck it right in the chest of the female tourist," Siregar added.

Information obtained by Antara from Siberut Police suggests Manfrini asked for help by waving to two witnesses who were also foreign nationals, named Alexandre Ribas and Massimo Ferro.

HAWAII LIFEGUARD KILLED IN SHARK ATTACK AFTER SURFING: ‘A TRAGIC LOSS’

The two witnesses rushed to assist Manfrini and provided first aid before taking her to a nearby clinic, where she was pronounced dead.

A medical examination conducted by the medical team at Pei Pei Puskesmas found Manfrini suffered a stab wound in the upper chest, about 5 centimeters deep. The report also said the victim’s nose emitted foam, suggesting a lack of oxygen due to drowning.

AUSTRALIAN SURFER SAVED BY OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICER AFTER SHARK RIPPED OFF LEG, DOCTORS HOPE TO REATTACH IT

Manfrini’s body is currently in Pei Pei Puskesmas and is expected to be taken to the city of Padang before being sent back to Italy.

Manfrini reportedly grew up in Venaria Reale, Italy, a community just outside the city of Turin.

The mayor of Venaria Reale, Fabio Giulivi, spoke about Manfrini’s sudden death on Saturday.

SEE IT: MYSTERY SURFER CAUGHT ON VIDEO SAVING BIRD DROWNING IN THE WAVES: ‘A HERO’

"The entire Venarian community is gathering around Giulia Manfrini’s family," Giulivi said in a translated post. "The news of her death has left us shocked and makes us feel powerless in front of the tragedy that took her life so prematurely."

He continued, saying Manfrini dreamed of surfing and opening a travel agency for sports vacations.

"To mum Chiara, dad Giorgio and all the people who loved her, a touching hug from me and the whole city," Giulivi said.

BRAZILIAN SURFER HOVERS ABOVE OCEAN IN VIRAL PHOTO, BREAKS OLYMPIC SURFING RECORD

Tributes poured in after news broke about Manfrini’s death.

One person who said she spent Manfrini’s last evening with her picking pomegranates and talking about making fig jam, wrote about her friend, saying, "We can only say how much she got out of her short life, and she filled it completely."

Another person wrote, "We are a huge heartbroken community that loved Giulia with all our hearts. She was the most lighthearted friend we had, always bringing joy and love to our group."

The Mentawai Islands Regency is a popular international tourist destination, especially for surfing. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed new intelligence about Hezbollah's financial network on Monday, as the military continues eliminating threats from Hamas and other terrorist groups.

In a Monday briefing that was posted on X, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari revealed new information about the institution Hezbollah uses to fund attacks.

"Tonight, we're exposing Hezbollah's financial network and how Hezbollah uses it to fund its terrorist activities," Hagari said. "In recent years, the state of Lebanon has experienced a deep financial crisis which was exploited by Hezbollah."

Hagari said that Hezbollah's financial arm is Al-Qard Al-Hasan, which "provides financial services to Lebanese civilians and pays the salaries of Hezbollah's operatives," Hagari said.

IDF RELEASES VIDEO SHOWING HAMAS LEADER YAHYA SINWAR FLEEING INTO TUNNEL WITH FAMILY BEFORE OCT. 7 ATTACK

Al-Qard Al-Hasan is a loan provider that is registered as a charitable non-profit in Lebanon, according to Reuters. Hagari said that the Iranian-linked financial network violates international law.

"Hezbollah's financial network is based on two main sources of income: money from the Iranian regime, and money from the Lebanese people," the military spokesman said. "Iran's Quds Force is transferring money to Hezbollah from Iranian oil sold in Syria."

"Iran also sends suitcases of cash and gold by planes to the Iranian embassy in Beirut, and then directly it goes to Hezbollah."

ISRAEL HAMMERS HEZBOLLAH FINANCES WITH CRUSHING AIRSTRIKES

Hagari also noted that Hezbollah built factories in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Turkey to generate cash to support terrorist activities.

The Israeli official argued that Hezbollah's financial arm threatens the Lebanese economy, as bringing Iranian money into circulation devalues the Lebanese pound.

"I want to emphasize, we are not at war with the people of Lebanon," Hagari concluded. "We are at war with Hezbollah, and we will continue to operate against Hezbollah so that the residents of northern Israel will be able to return to their homes in safety and security."

The update comes three weeks after the IDF began their ground operations in Lebanon. On Sunday, the military conducted airstrikes targetting Al-Qard Al-Hasan buildings in Lebanon.

Fox News Digital's Trey Yingst and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

South Korea demanded on Monday that the Russian ambassador protest military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, calling for the immediate pullout of North Korean troops rumored to have been deployed to help Russia.

The Associated Press reported Friday that South Korea’s spy agency confirmed North Korea sent 1,500 special operations troops to help Russia in October in support of its war against Ukraine.

Ukrainian intelligence suggests North Korea was preparing to send 10,000 soldiers to join Russian forces, according to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry said Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev met with Vice South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun, when the latter "condemned in the strongest terms" the North’s sending of troops to help Russia, which Kim said poses "a grave security threat" to South Korea and the international community.

SOUTH KOREAN INTELLIGENCE SAYS NORTH HAS SENT TROOPS TO AID RUSSIA'S WAR IN UKRAINE

Kim also said South Korea and the international community will mobilize all available means to deal with the act, which threatens its vital national security interests, the foreign ministry added.

Zinoviev was quoted by the Russian Embassy as saying the cooperation between Russia and North Korea is not aimed at South Korea’s security interests.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte spoke to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over the phone on Monday, who said Seoul will not sit idly by as the "reckless" military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang continues. 

NORTH KOREA BLOWS UP PARTS OF INTER-KOREAN ROAD AND RAIL LINKS IN SYMBOLIC DISPLAY OF ANGER

Yoon also said South Korea plans to send a delegation to NATO to speak about Russian-North Korean cooperation, according to his office.

In a post on X, Rutte said North Korea’s decision to send troops to fight alongside Russia "would mark a significant escalation."

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters last week that the U.S. could not confirm or corroborate media reports on the North Korean troop dispatch to Russia.

Russia has previously denied using North Korean troops in the war, with presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov describing the claims as "another piece of fake news" during a news conference last week. North Korea's state media hasn't commented on the issue.

NORTH KOREA SENDS WARNING TO SOUTH KOREA, SAYING TROOPS READY TO STRIKE IF MORE DRONES APPEAR

North Korea and Russia, locked in separate confrontations with the West, have sharply boosted their cooperation in the past two years. The U.S., South Korea and their partners have accused North Korea of supplying artillery shells, missiles and other conventional arms to Russia to help fuel its war against Ukraine in return for economic and military assistance. In June, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a pact stipulating mutual military assistance if either country is attacked.

Many experts question how much the North Korean troop dispatch would help Russia, citing North Korea’s outdated equipment and shortages of battle experience. They say North Korea likely received Russian promises to provide it with high-tech weapons technology associated with its nuclear and missile programs, a move that will complicate U.S. and South Korean efforts to neutralize North Korean nuclear threats.

Ukrainian media reported this month that six North Koreans were among those killed after a Ukrainian missile strike in the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region on Oct. 3.

Many experts were previously skeptical of possible North Korean troop deployments to Russian-Ukraine battlefields because North Korea is preoccupied with its nuclear standoff with the U.S. and South Korea.

North Korea sent pilots to fight for North Vietnam during the Vietnam War and for Egypt during the Yom Kippur War in 1973, but there has been no known large-scale dispatch of its ground troops overseas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In his fourth and likely final trip to Ukraine ahead of the U.S. election next month, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin championed Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russian President Vladimir Putin’s deadly years-long assault but warned there is "no silver bullet" to end the war. 

"There is no silver bullet. No single capability will turn the tide. No one system will end Putin’s assault," Austin said, speaking from Ukraine’s Diplomatic Academy in Kyiv.

"What matters is the way that Ukraine fights back," he added. "What matters is the combined effects of your military capabilities, and what matters is staying focused on what works."

ZELENSKYY VICTORY PLAN: REPLACE US TROOPS AT OUTPOSTS IN EUROPE WITH BATTLE-HARDENED UKRAINIANS

Austin applauded the bilateral efforts by the U.S. and its international allies to aid Ukraine in its fight against the Kremlin and warned Ukraine’s security is a matter of not only European security, but the U.S.’s.

International concern has mounted in recent months as the U.S. stares down a presidential election in just over two weeks and questions remain over whether a second Donald Trump White House would continue to back Kyiv should he win.

In a continued show of solidarity, Austin announced another $400 million arms package for Ukraine, and argued the cost of aiding Kyiv is less costly than abandoning it to Putin.

"Consider the price of American retreat. In the face of aggression, the price of principle is always dwarfed by the cost of capitulation," Austin said. "We face a hinge in history.

"We can continue to insist that cross-border invasion is the cardinal sin of world politics, and we can continue to stand firm against Putin's aggression. Or we can let Putin have his way, and we can condemn our children and grandchildren to live in a far bloodier and more dangerous world," he continued.

"If Ukraine falls under Putin’s boot, all of Europe will fall under Putin’s shadow."

US TO PROVIDE UKRAINE WITH ANOTHER $425M WORTH OF SUPPLIES TO HELP DEFEND ITSELF AGAINST RUSSIA

Austin argued Putin has yet to achieve a single objective of his "special military operation" when he invaded Ukraine nearly a thousand days ago, including his inability to take Kyiv or force Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to step aside. 

The secretary pointed to the more than 600,000 casualties Russia has incurred since February 2022, and the 11,000 Ukrainian civilians, including 600 children, that have been killed, according to figures by the United Nations.

Zelenskyy in a message posted to X, thanked Austin for his visit and the defense package, and said the pair discussed not only defense priorities and winterizing against Russia’s promised assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, but also "the expansion of long-range weapon use against Russian military targets."

The Ukrainian president has long pushed the U.S. to enable it to use long-range weapons to hit military sites deeper in Russia in a move to stop its deadly aerial assaults on Ukrainian cities. 

The U.S. has remained largely opposed to this tactic, and Austin did not mention any long-range strike capabilities during his address Monday. 

Austin pledged to continue driving international efforts to back Ukraine with the military aid it needs to battle Russian troops on its eastern front.

"When a dictator puts his imperial fantasies ahead of the rights of a free people, the whole international system feels the outrage," he said. "And so that’s why nations of goodwill from every corner of the planet have risen to Ukraine's defense.

"And that's why the United States and our allies and partners have proudly become the arsenal of Ukrainian democracy," Austin added.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday that the United States is monitoring reports that North Korean soldiers are "deploying to Russia" to fight in Ukraine. 

"We're obviously continuing to look into those reports," Kirby said. "We're talking to our allies and partners about what they're saying on this as well. If it's true that the DPRK soldiers are going there to join the war against Ukraine, it would certainly mark a dangerous and highly concerning development." 

Kirby said the development signaled "another demonstration of Putin's growing desperation and his growing isolation that he's got to reach out to North Korea for potential – potential, as I said, we're looking into the reports – potential infantry support, to his ground operations." 

"There's no question about it, that his forces continue to suffer an extraordinary amount of casualties on the battlefield," Kirby said, referencing figures of Russia losing more than 1,200 soldiers per day.

US 'CONCERNED' ABOUT REPORTS OF NORTH KOREAN SOLDIERS FIGHTING ALONGSIDE RUSSIA IN UKRAINE

"That is a truly historic amount of soldiers killed and wounded in this fight, all to accomplish but a warped and twisted idea of his about Ukraine's ability to exist as a sovereign state," Kirby said. "I think all of this is and proves the point that Mr. Putin is increasingly desperate and increasingly isolated on the world stage." 

The U.S. and NATO have not confirmed that North Korean troops were sent to Russia. But the reports of their presence have already stoked concerns in South Korea that Russia might provide North Korea with sophisticated technologies that can sharply enhance the North's nuclear and missile programs in return for its troop dispatch.

South Korea on Monday summoned the Russian ambassador to protest deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow and demand the immediate pullout of the North Korean troops. 

VLADIMIR PUTIN MEETS WITH IRANIAN PRESIDENT PEZESHKIAN TO CELEBRATE 'VERY CLOSE' RELATIONSHIP

South Korea's spy agency said Friday it had confirmed that North Korea sent 1,500 special operation forces to Russia this month to support Moscow's war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said his government had intelligence that 10,000 North Korean soldiers were being prepared to join invading Russian forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, will be shaking hands this week with multiple world leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian. They will convene in the Russian city of Kazan on Tuesday for a meeting of the BRICS bloc of developing economies, defying predictions that the war in Ukraine and an international arrest warrant against Putin would turn him into a pariah.

The alliance, which aims to counterbalance the Western-led world order, initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa but started to rapidly expand this year. Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia joined in January; Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia formally applied, and a number of others expressed a desire to be members.

"These countries can decide for themselves who they want to associate with and, especially how they want to be economically linked with one another. Russia is increasingly isolated on the world stage," Kirby said Monday. "There's no question about that. Mr. Putin is still having to take radical steps to prop up his, currency, and to keep his war economy going." 

Putin is expected to end the BRICS conference with a press conference on Thursday, Reuters reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Israeli security agencies on Monday said they had uncovered and stopped an Iranian spy ring operating out of northern Israel after seven Israeli citizens were detained over allegations of working to aid Jerusalem’s top adversary.

In a joint announcement by Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, and the Israeli Police, the suspects were all reported to be providing intelligence on key military and energy infrastructures, reported Israeli news agency TPS.

Two minors, whose names remain confidential, along with five others identified as Aziz Nisanov, Alexander Sedykov, Vyacheslav Gushchin, Yevgeny Yoffe and Yigal Nissan have been arrested and accused of conducting espionage to aid two Iranian agents under the operational code names of "Elkhan" and "Orkhan."

IDF RELEASES VIDEO SHOWING HAMAS LEADER YAHYA SINWAR FLEEING INTO TUNNEL WITH FAMILY BEFORE OCT. 7 ATTACK

"The scale and severity of these acts are among the most dangerous security breaches Israel has faced. The suspects acted knowingly, driven by financial greed, and compromised the safety of Israel and its citizens," the Israeli Police reportedly said in a statement. 

The suspects, residents of Haifa and other areas across northern Israel, are suspected of gathering intelligence on Israeli military bases, including air force and naval installations, as well as Israel’s infamous Iron Dome defense system.

The accused are also suspected of relaying information to Iranian intelligence on Israel’s critical energy infrastructure, including its largest power station in Hadera – a tactic that could suggest Iran may look to utilize a strategy long held by its top ally Russia, which has frequently targeted Ukraine's energy systems.

According to Shin Bet, the spy network provided Iranian intelligence agents with critical information using sophisticated equipment to photograph sensitive locations in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars, some made using cryptocurrency, confirmed the Israeli news agency. 

ISRAEL HAMMERS HEZBOLLAH FINANCES WITH CRUSHING AIRSTRIKES

But the suspects were not only found to have been collecting intelligence on military and energy targets, they were also allegedly spying on other Israeli citizens. 

The Israeli investigation, conducted in coordination with security agencies and the Israel Defense Forces, found that specific citizens were targeted with mal intent. 

The security forces reportedly arrested several of the suspects while they were in the midst of conducting surveillance on one Israeli citizen who was believed to have been the target of a planned Iranian attack.  

"The group’s activities caused significant harm to Israel’s national security, with intelligence collected on military bases and energy infrastructure at a time when the country is engaged in multiple conflict zones," one senior Shin Bet official said, according to TPS.

The suspects are expected to be indicted in the coming days.

Though the announcement of the Iranian spy network comes as tension between Jerusalem and Tehran remains at an all-time high, it is not the first time Israeli security teams have uncovered such a scheme. 

In August, another Israeli citizen from southern Israel was arrested over his alleged involvement in helping Iran plan future attacks, including on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

A search is underway in the Philippines after police received reports that a group of gunmen shot an American national in the leg as he was kidnapped and taken away on a speed boat.

The reported kidnapping happened in the coastal town of Sibuco, a town in the southern province of Zamboanga del Norte, on Thursday night. The FBI told Fox News Digital on Monday morning that it is aware of the alleged kidnapping reports and is coordinating with the State Department and other government agencies.

Regional police identified the American as Elliot Onil Eastman, 26, from Vermont.

"We confirm that there was a report of the alleged abduction of an American national," the regional police said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press. "We want to assure the public, particularly the community of Sibuco, that we are doing everything in our power to secure the safe recovery of the victim."

REMAINS OF MICHIGAN WOMAN, 68, WHO DISAPPEARED DURING VACATION, FOUND IN STOMACH OF SHARK

A resident of Sibuco told police that four men in black clothing and armed with M16 rifles introduced themselves as police officers before forcibly taking Eastman, according to two police reports seen by The Associated Press. 

The resident described to police how Eastman tried to escape, but one of the gunmen shot him in the leg before dragging him into a speedboat. The witness said the group then fled on the boat further south toward the provinces of Basilan or Sulu.

Policemen chased but failed to find the gunmen and Eastman and alerted other police and Philippine marine units in the region, according to the reports.

RUSSIAN MAN RESCUED AFTER 67 DAYS ADRIFT AT SEA. HIS FAMILY MEMBERS DIDN'T MAKE IT

The southern Philippines is no stranger to security issues among its largely impoverished population, which is home to a Muslim minority in the largely Roman Catholic nation.

The Abu Sayyaf group, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the Philippines, is an offshoot of decades-long Muslim separatist unrest in the south and carried out mass kidnappings for ransom, beheadings and bombings more than two decades ago in the southern region.

It is unclear whether the gunmen in the alleged kidnapping belong to any such group.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Israel Defense Forces released footage showing the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar fleeing with his family into a tunnel underneath Gaza in the hours leading up to his terrorist group’s brutal Oct. 7 attack on Israel. 

The video shows Sinwar moving his family and equipment – including pillows, water and a television – into a bunker in Khan Younis, according to the IDF. 

"While hiding in the tunnels of Khan Younis, Sinwar ordered the Oct. 7 attack to begin. Sinwar’s army of terrorists invaded Israel, murdered families, raped women and kidnapped men, women, children and babies into Gaza," a narrator says in the video. 

The narrator added that Sinwar’s ability to live underground during the war was a "luxury that the people of Gaza did not have as Sinwar always prioritized himself, his money and Hamas terrorists over the people of Gaza." 

IDF SAYS ‘MISSION IS NOT OVER’ UNTIL HOSTAGES ARE RETURNED: ‘WE WILL NOT REST’ 

The Israeli military announced Sinwar’s death last week. 

An Israel Army Radio report said Thursday that Sinwar was killed during a battle with Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip city of Rafah. 

HAMAS ADMITS ‘PAINFUL, DISTRESSING LOSSES’ AFTER ISRAELI VIDEO SHOWS TERRORIST SINWAR MOMENTS BEFORE HIS DEATH 

The soldiers spotted suspected terrorists in Gaza and opened fire before the individuals fled into a building, according to the report. It added that a tank then fired a shell at the building, causing it to collapse.  

When the soldiers went inside to examine the aftermath, they found three bodies — one of which ultimately was identified as Sinwar. 

The IDF also released video showing tank fire targeting the building where Sinwar had been barricaded and of his final moments before his death. 

Israeli airstrikes targeted nearly a dozen branches of a Hezbollah-run financial institution that the IDF says helps to fund terror operations.

The branches of Al-Qard Al-Hassan, or "the benevolent loan," were located across southern Lebanon and in the capital of Beirut. While some individuals maintain their savings with the institution, Israel says Hezbollah uses it to store hundreds of millions of dollars.

Israel issued evacuation warnings ahead of the airstrikes, and there have been no reports of casualties.

"Overnight, the IAF conducted a series of targeted, intelligence-based strikes against dozens of facilities and sites used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to finance its terrorist activities against the State of Israel. The strikes were conducted in the areas of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and deep within Lebanese territory," the IDF said in a statement.

US INVESTIGATING RELEASE OF CLASSIFIED DOCS ON ISRAEL'S PLANNED STRIKE ON IRAN

"These funds, which Hezbollah used for terror activities, were stored by the Al-Qard al-Hassan Association, which directly funds Hezbollah's terror activities, including the purchase weapons and payments to operatives in Hezbollah's military wing. The Hezbollah terrorist organization stores billions of dollars in the association's branches, including money that was directly held under the name of the terrorist organization," the statement continued.

IDF SAYS ‘MISSION IS NOT OVER’ UNTIL HOSTAGES ARE RETURNED: ‘WE WILL NOT REST’

The institution, which has more than 30 branches across Lebanon, tried to reassure customers ahead of the strikes, saying it had evacuated all its branches and relocated gold and other deposits to safe areas.

Israel's announcement came a day after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called civilian casualties in Lebanon "far too high" in the Israel-Hezbollah war, and urged Israel to scale back some strikes, especially in and around Beirut.

ISRAEL’S UN AMBASSADOR: RESPONSE TO IRAN WILL BE ‘VERY PAINFUL'

Iran supports the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, and the United States is investigating an unauthorized release of classified documents indicating that Israel was moving military assets into place for a military strike in response to Iran's ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1, according to three U.S. officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Israel's government said a drone targeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s house on Saturday, with no casualties, as fighting with Hezbollah and Hamas terrorists showed no pause.

The Associated Press and Trey Yingst contributed to this report.