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Houthi rebels for the first time fired surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) at a U.S. F-16 fighter jet on Feb. 19, three senior U.S. defense officials tell Fox News.

The jet was flying off the coast of Yemen over the Red Sea when the SAM was fired. The missile did not strike the jet.

Houthis fired another SAM at an American MQ-9 Reaper drone that the U.S. was flying over Yemen outside Houthi-controlled areas on Feb. 19.

This is the first time the Houthis have fired a SAM missile at an American F16 fighter jet, a significant escalation in the ongoing military interactions between the Iranian-backed group and the U.S. Navy and Air Force, according to senior U.S. defense officials. 

US NAVY SHIPS REPEL ATTACK FROM HOUTHIS IN GULF OF ADEN

Under the Biden administration the U.S. military defended its warships patrolling the Red Sea and Bab al Mandab Strait, escorting and preventing attacks on commercial ships by the Houthis following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel by Hamas.

The Houthi attacks began shortly after the Israeli military responded to Oct. 7 in Gaza. U.S. Central Command then escalated its attacks on the Houthis to degrade infrastructure and weapons-storage facilities. 

Now there is a policy debate at the highest levels of the U.S. military about what is the best way to counter the Houthis, which the Trump administration has put back on the State Department’s terror list.

The debate now is whether to carry out a more traditional counterterrorism approach to the Houthis, with persistent strikes targeting the individuals planning and carrying out the ongoing attacks, or whether to take a more defensive approach and keep going after Houthi infrastructure and weapons-storage facilities.

DISAPPROVAL MOUNTS BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD AS US AVOIDS DIRECT ACTION AGAINST HOUTHI REBELS

A counterterrorism approach would be a significant – and, some say, expensive – escalation at a time when military resources, including MQ-9 Reaper drones, are being diverted to the southern border.

The policy decision will eventually have to be decided by the White House. 

Senior military leaders believe that it could be only a matter of time before a Houthi missile hits a U.S. Navy vessel, which could cause devastating injuries and damage to the aircraft carriers and destroyers that have been patrolling the Red Sea since shortly after the Oct. 7 attacks.

So far, the Navy has shot down or intercepted all of the missiles and drones fired at their warships by the Houthis, but sometimes the interceptions have occurred seconds before impact.

There have been numerous close calls, and the U.S. Navy in essence has been at war in the Red Sea for the past two years, facing near-constant attacks by Houthi ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, and firing expensive SM-2 and SM-3 missiles to counter the Houthi harassment.

JOHANNESBURG – Seventy Christians have been beheaded with machetes or large knives, according to multiple groups that monitor terrorism and persecution, by Islamist militants in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – and yet the world remains mostly silent.

The 70 Christians were first rounded up by Islamist rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces, a group affiliated with the terror group Islamic State, or ISIS, according Open Doors U.S., which monitors Christian persecution around the world. The Christians, reportedly all from the Lubero district, were forced out of their homes allegedly early in the morning of Feb. 13, with the rebels shouting, "Get out, get out."

They were taken hostage, and moved to a small Christian church in the village of Kasanga. There, inside the building that had until then been considered a sanctuary, they were first tied up, and then all 70 were beheaded, the groups say.

Vianney Vitswamba, coordinator of a local community protection committee, is quoted by the Global Fight Against Terrorism Funding organization, (GFATF) as saying, "70 bodies were discovered in the church. They were (found) tied up."

THOUSANDS OF CHRISTIANS ‘DELIBERATELY TARGETED’ AND KILLED IN NIGERIA, NEW REPORT SAYS

Sources report that local Islamist militants wouldn’t let Christian leaders bury the dead for some five days.

Open Doors U.S. reports that 95% of people living in the DRC are Christian. Yet the Islamist ADF, analysts say, are bent on turning this community in the troubled North East of the country into an Islamic Caliphate, forcing this majority-Christian community to follow extreme Muslim practices.

"The violence takes place in a context of impunity, where almost no one is held accountable," John Samuel, Open Doors legal expert for sub-Saharan Africa, stated. "This massacre is a clear indicator of widespread human rights violations against civilians and vulnerable communities, often targeting Christians, perpetrated by ADF – a(n) Islamic State affiliate."

Tristan Azbej, Hungary's State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians posted on X, "Horrified to learn about the 70 Christian martyrs beheaded by terrorists in a church . . . . Hungary stands in solidarity with the persecuted Christians . . . the world needs to recognize and act against Christian persecution."

CHRISTIANS IN AFRICA FACE WORRYING RISE IN KILLINGS, PERSECUTION AND DISPLACEMENT

Open Doors UK declared in a recent statement that Christians in the DRC "face severe persecution and violence frequently from Islamist militants, the ADF, especially in the eastern region. Allied with the Islamic State group, the ADF abduct and kill Christians and attack churches, leading to widespread terror, insecurity and displacement."

Worldwide, and particularly in Africa, Christians face increasing persecution. In a January 2025 report, Open Doors US stated that "over 380 million Christians worldwide experienced at least a "high level" of persecution and discrimination because of their faith."

Local Christians are said to be in despair. "We don’t know what to do or how to pray; we’ve had enough of massacres," an elder of the local CECA20 church told reporters. "May God’s will alone be done."

But despite the shocking nature of the killings, and the large number of those murdered, there has been little reported in the media. Posting on X, American political commentator Liz Wheeler wrote, "70 Christian men, women & children were beheaded . . . because they’re Christian. Their decapitated bodies were left in a church . . . because they’re Christian. The terrorists who murdered them have ties to ISIS. MSM, where’s your outrage? Are you silent . . . because they’re Christian?"

Also in North-Eastern DRC, Rwanda-backed M23 rebels are reported to have entered the region’s second-largest city of Bukavu on Friday, after taking over the major city of Goma on the Rwanda border.

Germans go to the polls Sunday as the conservative Christian Democrats, led by Friedrich Merz, are expected to oust current Chancellor Olaf Scholz. But the potential incoming chancellor has already signaled he will not rule with Germany’s right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Germany's election has also caught the attention of Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk. Musk has championed the AfD as the best political party to fix Germany's economic woes. Musk's comments drew the ire of German politicians, and Chancellor Scholz accused the billionaire of interfering in Germany's elections. 

Following a stabbing in Munich on Friday, Musk once again tweeted his support for AfD on X stating, "Only AfD can save Germany."

Vance met with the leader of the AfD, Alice Weidel, at the Munich Security Conference and criticized the German government's "firewall" policy of not cooperating with the AfD.

GERMANY ACCUSES ELON MUSK OF TRYING TO INTERFERE IN ITS NATIONAL ELECTIONS

"The main political parties governing Germany have established a ‘firewall’ between themselves and the AfD, which essentially means they refuse to endorse, collaborate with or support far-right parties like the AfD," Anna Hardage, fellow in European Studies at the American Foreign Policy Council, told Fox News Digital.

The AfD expects to have its best performance in an election, doubling its vote count from 2021, and could become Germany’s second-biggest political party.

GERMANY BRACES UNDER COLLAPSING GOVERNMENT AND LOOMING TRUMP TRADE WAR

If Merz and his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party refuse to work with the AfD, Germany may end up with a coalition of parties that have fewer shared priorities, except a shared desire to avoid partnering with the AfD.

Hardage noted that while the AfD will most likely be shut out of any governing coalition, the party’s success in mobilizing public opinion means its positions will shape public debates around the biggest issues facing Germany. 

AfD has been able to capitalize on the German public's fears over migration after a spate of violent incidents involving migrants. The party champions stricter immigration laws as the number of migrants across Germany and the EU has soared in recent years from various global conflicts.

The economy, security and immigration are the biggest issues, and they are successful because many voters attribute these big issues to the missteps of past leaders. Rafael Loss, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told Fox News Digital Merz has moved the CDU to the right on these issues to win back AfD-curious voters.

AfD might find common ground with President Donald Trump’s desire to end the war in Ukraine. The party has called for an end to security assistance to Ukraine and the lifting of sanctions on Russia. Loss said, however, that transatlanticism is at the core of the CDU’s identity, and Merz is convinced that Russia is an existential threat to German and European security, and it remains a priority for Ukraine to emerge victorious.

The sentiment is shared by Merz’s European counterparts.

"Conversations between European leaders of the past weeks, many of whom have also been consulting with Merz, suggest that German and European support for Ukraine will further increase rather than decrease," Loss said.

Merz’s party has led in the polls for at least three years, with most polls showing a consistent lead for the CDU of around 30%. The election comes after Chancellor Scholz’s "traffic light" coalition fell apart in November over disagreements on fiscal issues. 

Economic issues have also led to a deterioration of Scholz’s popularity, and his government struggled to combat the post-pandemic rise in inflation and stagnating growth.

The AfD has faced a barrage of criticism and controversy and was placed under surveillance by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency in 2021 and labeled a suspected right-wing extremist group because some members have reported ties to neo-Nazi groups. The party appealed the designation but was unsuccessful. Björn Höcke, the co-leader of the AfD in the state of Thuringia, and the party's most prominent member of its extreme right wing, has been convicted several times for using Nazi rhetoric and symbols.

Loss noted that, at the state level, of the 16 AfD state-level organizations, three are being considered as confirmed extremist groups, six are under surveillance as suspected extremist groups and another one is under investigation.

Germany’s Constitutional Court has only banned two political parties since 1949 — the Socialist Reich Party in 1952 and the Communist Party of Germany in 1956.

JERUSALEM — After President Donald Trump announced he was reimposing his maximum economic sanctions pressure campaign on the Islamic Republic of Iran, a high-level Iranian general declared Thursday his nation will wage an attack designed to obliterate Israel.

Tehran’s rogue regime launched two massive aerial attacks against the Jewish state, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, in 2024.

According to Iranian regime media outlets, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) General Ebrahim Jabbari said, "Operation True Promise 3 will be carried out at the right time, with precision, and on a scale sufficient to destroy Israel and raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground."

IRAN ‘TERRIFIED’ OF TRUMP PRESIDENCY AS IRANIAN CURRENCY FALLS TO AN ALL-TIME LOW

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar fired back at Jabbari’s threat on X, saying, "If the Jewish people have learned anything from history, it is this: if your enemy says his goal is to annihilate you - believe him. We are ready."

Tom Gross, a Middle East expert, told Fox News Digital, "The Israeli foreign minister is right, of course. Genocidal threats from Iran need to be taken seriously. If previous threats by Iran and its Hamas terror allies had been taken more seriously, the Oct. 7 onslaught might have been prevented."

Jabbari’s remarks seem to also be aimed at setting up a showdown between Trump and Iran’s regime. Jabbari made his declaration to destroy Israel when he spoke to paramilitary forces during military drills called "The Great Exercise of Prophet Mohammad's Power."

"The United States can do nothing against Yemen," Jabbari said in an apparent reference to the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen.

INTELLIGENCE REPORT SAYS IRAN WILL KEEP TRYING TO KILL TRUMP REGARDLESS OF ELECTION OUTCOME

The Islamic Republic has Trump in its crosshairs with assassination plans since the president ordered a military strike that eliminated IRGC General Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

"If they are trying to send a message to Trump, they should be careful," Gross said. "The U.S. president had no problem dispatching the previous head of the revolutionary guards in his first term, and, since then, the regime has tried to assassinate Trump, who now has unfinished business with the regime in Tehran."

Fox News Digital reported that the U.S. State Department said Soleimani was responsible for 17% of U.S. troops killed during the Iraq war — over 600 military personnel.

Trump responded to Iran’s plan to murder him by declaring if Tehran assassinated him, "That would be a terrible thing for them to do.

"If they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. … There won't be anything left."

Gross said "Iran’s Islamic regime may be nervous, having lost its allies Hezbollah and Assad, and perhaps Russia too. The regime may be threatening Israel to try and scare off Washington and Jerusalem from moving against the regime’s nuclear weapons program." 

Banafsheh Zand, an Iranian-American expert on the Islamic Republic, told Fox News Digital, "The Khomeinist regime has never hidden its intentions, yet the West has continually chosen to ignore these threats. Even as the Shia regime destroyed Iran and its people and launched terrorist attacks around the world, Western leaders ignored it. They could have stood with the people of Iran, the region, and the Islamic world but willfully chose not to."

Ali Khamenei is the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic Iran, a regime the U.S. State Department classified as the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism.

Zand complained that "Western leaders have proven to be short-sighted, entirely out of touch, greedy and penny-wise and pound-foolish. And here we are, 46 years later, and the cycle of slipshod choices goes on and on, putting Western citizenry in impending harm's way as well." 

Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, believes a "political revolution" will sweep through Europe as it did the U.S. with the re-election of President Donald Trump.

In answer to questions about controversial comments made by Vice President JD Vance during the Munich Security Conference last week, Farage told Fox News Digital in an interview he "loved every word of what he said" and argued Vance was "speaking ahead of his time."

"He was talking to an audience of a European political class who are on the way out," Farage said at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference in London this week. "It’s a political revolution, and it swept through America. And it's going to sweep through the rest of Europe too."

NIGEL FARAGE RESPONDS AFTER ELON MUSK DECLARES HE 'DOESN'T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES' TO LEAD REFORM UK PARTY

Vance, who argued the biggest threat facing Europe was not from Russia or China, but rather from alleged government efforts to silence freedom of speech, drew international rebuke from some who argued his comments were misleading or inaccurate. Others praised his comments, including those who attended the Conservative Political Action Conference Thursday, where he was reportedly given a standing ovation.

Farage said Vance reminds him of where he was a decade ago when he served in the European Parliament and remembered "getting up and giving speeches and being screamed at and shouted at and hated."

NIGEL FARAGE: 'OUR COUNTRY IS CHANGING FUNDAMENTALLY'

Farage left the European Parliament in 2020 after the UK’s decision to leave the European Union under the 2016 Brexit referendum, which he ardently supported as leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP).

He then launched the Brexit Party in 2019, before renaming it Reform UK, which he told Fox News Digital has leaped in popularity over the last seven months and is "leading consistently in the national opinion polls."

"It is quite remarkable. It's a reflection, I think, on what we call the Uni-Party," he added, arguing there are no differences between the UK’s Labor Party, which is currently in power under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the Conservative Party. 

"We're upbeat, we're optimistic, we've got a good vibe, and we believe, with the right leadership, we can and will turn this country around," he said. 

According to a report by Reuters, Reform UK has just five members of parliament out of 650. But members of the party came in second place in roughly 100 races during the last election in July 2024.

The report noted the party was "benefiting from a growing anti-establishment" sentiment rising across Europe by which both far-right and far-left parties are seeing increasing support. 

"We're in societal decline," Farage said, pointing to statistics relating to knife crime, immigration and the economy. "Now, can it be fixed? Not under this government."

"They're talking us into a recession. We're in for a couple of very, very tough years, but the turnaround will come at the next election," he added.

The U.K. has been dipping in and out of technical recessions since 2023 and has struggled to economically recover from the coronavirus pandemic, a fact that likely cost the Conservative Party its 14-year reign to the Labor Party in July. 

Hamas freed two hostages on Saturday in exchange for more than 600 Palestinian prisoners as part of the fragile ceasefire agreement with Israel.

The men were identified as Tal Shoham, 40, and Avera Mengistu, 39. Video footage showed the two men looking frail and scared as they were taken to a stage in front of a crowd while flanked by masked gunmen. They were handed over to the Red Cross and were on their way to IDF forces. 

An additional four hostages – Omer Wenkert, 23; Omer Shem Tov, 22; Hisham Al-Sayed, 36; and Eliya Cohen, 27 – were expected to also be released later Saturday. 

Two of the hostages — Mengistu and Al-Sayed — are civilians who have been held since entering Gaza on their own more than a decade ago, long before the war sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel, which prompted military retaliation from Israeli forces.

This comes as the delicate ceasefire deal reached a month ago remains in place despite recent revelations that hostage Shiri Bibas' body was not initially returned to Israel as promised by Hamas.

REMAINS OF SHIRI BIBAS, MOM OF TWO KILLED, ALLEGEDLY RETURNED TO ISRAEL FOLLOWING HAMAS' BROKEN PROMISE

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas would "pay the full price" for allegedly handing over the body of a Palestinian woman from Gaza instead of the body of the Israeli hostage. The hostage's sons — Ariel and Kfir Bibas — along with Oded Lifshitz were returned by Hamas on Thursday as expected.

Late Friday, Hamas said it handed over Shiri Bibas’ body to the Red Cross, which confirmed it had received human remains inside Gaza and transferred them to Israeli authorities. Bibas' family confirmed her identity early Saturday. 

TERROR GROUP RESPONDS AFTER FAILING TO RETURN THE BODY OF MURDERED HOSTAGE SHIRI BIBAS

Hamas said it "has no interest in withholding any bodies in its possession." The terror group said the dead hostages handed over on Thursday had been killed by an Israeli airstrike in November 2023 and that the bodies could have been misidentified due to bombardments in the area.

The terror group also killed Ariel and Kfir Bibas "with their bare hands," according to the Israeli military, which did not offer evidence to support the claim.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari alleged that forensic analysis of the Bibas boys’ bodies showed that Hamas "did not shoot the boys," but "killed them with their bare hands" and then "committed horrific acts to cover up these atrocities." Hagari said Lifshitz was killed by captors inside Gaza.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The body of a woman who was presumed to have been one of four dead hostages killed by Hamas and handed over to Israel this week was positively identified Saturday morning.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters confirmed the identification of Shiri Bibas, who was returned to Israel on Friday after Hamas initially instead handed over a Palestinian woman from Gaza on Thursday.

Hamas on Friday handed over a coffin carrying Bibas' remains to the Red Cross, which turned the coffin over to Israeli authorities. The coffin was then taken to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification.

"Last night, our Shiri was returned home," the family said in a statement. "Following the identification process at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, we received this morning the news we had dreaded – our Shiri was murdered in captivity and has now returned home to her sons, husband, sister, and all her family for rest."

REMAINS OF SHIRI BIBAS, MOM OF TWO KILLED, ALLEGEDLY RETURNED TO ISRAEL FOLLOWING HAMAS' BROKEN PROMISE

"Despite our fears about their fate, we continued to hope that we would get to embrace them, and now we are in pain and heartbroken," it continued. "For 16 months we sought certainty, and now that it's here, it brings no comfort, though we hope it marks the beginning of closure."

The family said "Shiri was a wonderful mother to Ariel and Kfir, a loving partner to Yarden, a devoted sister and aunt, and an amazing friend."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Hamas would "pay the full price" for allegedly handing over the body of a Palestinian woman from Gaza instead of Bibas' remains.

TERROR GROUP RESPONDS AFTER FAILING TO RETURN THE BODY OF MURDERED HOSTAGE SHIRI BIBAS

The Israeli military earlier said it had positively identified the remains of Bibas' two sons — Ariel and Kfir Bibas — along with Oded Lifshitz. Four bodies were returned on Thursday, but the one expected to be holding Shiri Bibas was not holding any hostage.

Hamas said it "has no interest in withholding any bodies in its possession." The terror group said the dead hostages it handed over on Thursday had been killed by an Israeli airstrike in November 2023 and that the bodies could have been misidentified due to bombardments in the area.

After the return of Shiri Bibas, the family is calling for the return of the remaining hostages held in Gaza. Six are being released on Saturday.

"In this difficult hour, we continue to demand and call for the immediate return of the remaining hostages still in captivity. There is no more important goal. There can be no rehabilitation without them," the Bibas family said.

Fox News' Yonat Friling and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

German police arrested a suspect after a stabbing at Berlin’s Holocaust memorial left a person seriously injured on Friday evening local time.

Police haven’t yet given a motive or made any connection between the stabbing and the Holocaust memorial, known as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, or the U.S. Embassy located nearby. 

The stabbing also came two days before Germany’s national elections on Sunday. 

2 PEOPLE ARE KILLED IN A KNIFE ATTACK IN GERMANY; SCHOLZ SAYS THERE MUST BE CONSEQUENCES

The victim, whose injuries are not life-threatening, was identified as a 30-year-old Spanish tourist, according to The Associated Press. 

"Our forces have detained a suspect in the vicinity of the crime scene," Berlin police posted on X. "Investigations continue."

'RANDOM' STABBING SPREE AT FESTIVAL IN GERMANY LEAVES 3 DEAD, OTHERS INJURED: REPORT

During a news conference, police spokesperson Florian Nath said the attack happened around 6 p.m., "probably with a knife. Maybe with something else." 

The suspect was arrested around three hours later after he was seen near the memorial. 

"He had blood on his hands, and this made him very suspicious," Nath said.

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In an update, police said on X that a larger area around the crime scene was being searched "for clues by additional emergency services, police dogs and the police helicopter." 

Benjamin Weinthal, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The body of a woman who was presumed to have been one of four slain hostages murdered in cold blood by Hamas and handed over to Israel this week was allegedly turned over by the terror group on Friday.  

Hamas handed over a coffin allegedly carrying the remains of Shiri Bibas to the Red Cross. The coffin will be handed over to Israeli troops and then will be transported to the National Forensic Institute for identification. 

The development follows Israel’s demand for the return of Bibas’ body after discrepancies were found in a previous transfer on Thursday. 

HAMAS FREES THREE MORE HOSTAGES IN EXCHANGE FOR MORE THAN 300 PRISONERS AS PART OF CEASEFIRE DEAL WITH ISRAEL

Bibas was initially believed to have been one of four hostages handed over to Israel on Thursday, following confirmation by Hamas. However, Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine could only verify the identities of her two children.  

It was discovered that the body in a coffin bearing Shiri Bibas’ name and photo was an unidentified woman, and not the kidnapped mother of two, causing widespread outrage in Israel. 

The two children were identified as Ariel and Kfir Bibas, ages four and ten months, who were killed by Hamas terrorists with their bare hands, Israel said. The fourth body was not identified but was believed to be Oded Lifshitz, a retired journalist and activist.

The Israel Defense Forces said it was in contact with the Bibas family.

TERROR GROUP RESPONDS AFTER FAILING TO RETURN THE BODY OF MURDERED HOSTAGE SHIRI BIBAS

"For months, we prayed for the Bibas babies to come home. Yesterday, our worst nightmare was confirmed," IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said, "Kfir and Ariel were murdered in cold blood. The terrorists didn’t shoot them—they killed them with their bare hands. Then, they committed horrific acts to cover up their crimes."

In response to the findings, the Hostages and Missing Families forum said it was "shaken to the core by the horrifying findings."

"This barbaric act is yet another undeniable testament to the unfathomable brutality of those who continue to hold our loved ones captive," the group said in a statement. "The very same hands that slaughtered Ariel and Kfir are the ones keeping our fathers, mothers, sons and daughters in unimaginable conditions."

"Today is a tragic day," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday. "It’s a day of boundless sorrow, of indescribable pain. Four-year-old Ariel Bibas, his baby brother one-year-old Kfir, and 84-year-old Oded Lifshitz were brutally murdered by Hamas savages."

Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, said that Hamas "continues to violate every basic moral value," even after the death of the two children. 

"Instead of returning Shiri, the mother of Kfir and Ariel, Hamas returned an unidentified  body, as if it were a worthless shipment. This is a new low, an evil and cruelty with no parallel," he added.

The young boys and their mother were abducted from their home by Hamas terrorists during the terror group's deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Yarden Bibas, Ariel and Kfir's father, tried to protect them and was abducted prior to the kidnapping of his wife and children, the IDF said.

Yarden returned as part of the agreement for the return of the hostages on Feb. 1. Netanyahu said that Hamas will pay "the full price" for not following through with returning Shiri Bibas' body.

"God will save their blood, and we will take revenge, too," he said. 

Fox News' Yonat Friling contributed to this report. 

Pope Francis "is fine" as his medical condition is not life-threatening, but he is expected to remain hospitalized for at least all of next week, his doctors in Italy announced Friday. 

Gemelli hospital Dr. Sergio Alfieri and Francis’ personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, spoke as the 88-year-old pope marked his first week in a hospital with pneumonia on top of chronic bronchitis. 

"The pope is fine," Alfieri told reporters Friday, noting that Francis instructed he and Carbone to provide an update.  

Alfieri added that the pope is getting the same treatment as anyone with his condition would get. 

POPE FRANCIS GOT OUT OF BED TO EAT BREAKFAST DURING HOSPITAL STAY, VATICAN SAYS 

The pope is receiving occasional supplements of oxygen when he needs it and is responding to the strengthened drug therapy he is receiving to fight pneumonia and a complex lung infection, according to his doctors. 

Francis is dealing with a multipronged infection of bacteria and virus in the respiratory tract. 

POPE FRANCIS’ MEDICAL CONDITION: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT BILATERAL PNEUMONIA 

Doctors said there was no evidence the germs had entered his bloodstream, a condition known as sepsis that they said would be the biggest concern. Sepsis is a complication of an infection that can lead to organ failure and death. 

Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after a case of bronchitis worsened. 

The Vatican late Thursday reported a "slight improvement" in Francis’ overall clinical condition, with his heart working well. 

"The night went well, this morning Pope Francis got up and had breakfast," a bulletin added Friday. 

Fox News’ Thomas Ferraro and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed "revenge" on Hamas after it was discovered that the body in a coffin bearing Shiri Bibas’ name and photo was an unidentified woman, and not the kidnapped mother of two.

On Thursday, Hamas was supposed to deliver the bodies of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas and Oded Lifshitz. However, during the identification process, Israel discovered that the body inside Shiri’s coffin was not hers. 

"These Hamas monsters also cynically refused to bring back the boys’ mother, Shiri, and sent the body of a Gazan woman instead, in brazen violation of the agreement," Netanyahu said in a statement on Friday.

TERROR GROUP RESPONDS AFTER FAILING TO RETURN THE BODY OF MURDERED HOSTAGE SHIRI BIBAS

"And as the prime minister of Israel, I vow that I will not rest until the savages who executed our hostages are brought to justice. They do not deserve to walk this earth. Nothing will stop me. Nothing," he added.

IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, citing forensic findings and intelligence, confirmed on Friday that Ariel and Kfir Bibas "were murdered by terrorists in cold blood. The terrorists did not shoot the two young boys, they killed them with their own hands. Afterwards, they committed horrific acts to cover up these atrocities."

Hagari said Hamas’ handing over "the body of an anonymous woman" instead of Shiri Bibas was "further evidence of Hamas’ barbaric cruelty."

In response to the findings, the Hostages and Missing Families forum issued a statement.

"We are shaken to the core by the horrifying findings confirming the cruel and brutal murder of Ariel and Kfir Bibas—just innocent infants—at the hands of Hamas. This barbaric act is yet another undeniable testament to the unfathomable brutality of those who continue to hold our loved ones captive. The very same hands that slaughtered Ariel and Kfir are the ones keeping our fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters in unimaginable conditions," the statement reads.

The organization, which was founded in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks, reiterated its demand that Hamas release the remaining hostages "before it is too late."

Ofri Bibas Levy, Yarden Bibas’ sister, however, struck a different chord in a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, we did not receive an apology from you in this painful moment. For Ariel and Kfir's sake, and for Yarden's sake, we are not seeking revenge right now. We are asking for Shiri," Levy said in the statement.

ISRAEL'S UN AMBASSADOR SLAMS HAMAS' 'EVIL AND DEPRAVED' DISPLAY OF HOSTAGES' COFFINS

The revelation that Shiri’s body was not returned alongside her sons sparked widespread outrage. World leaders and celebrities, including Dr. Phil and Patricia Heaton, condemned Hamas’ actions and expressed their disgust with the terror group.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-Ny, who has been outspoken about his support for Israel, slammed those criticizing the Jewish state’s response to Hamas’ attacks.

"Those who insist that Israel stop defending itself in the face of genocidal terror are asking the world’s only Jewish State to sign a suicide pact that no other nation-state, including our own, would ever sign," Torres wrote on X.

U.S. Envoy for Hostages Adam Boehler called Hamas’ actions "horrific" and "a clear violation" of the ceasefire agreement while speaking with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Thursday. Boehler warned that if Hamas does not release all the remaining hostages, it will "face total annihilation."

Netanyahu also delivered a message to the fallen Israelis whose bodies were returned by Hamas on Thursday.

"Ariel, Kfir and Oded: I am so sorry we couldn't save you from the monsters who did this. We honor your kind and loving souls, so tragically cut down by evil terror," the prime minister said.

Israel is preparing to receive six living hostages on Saturday, two of whom have been held hostage in Gaza for over a decade.

The mother of two young boys murdered by Hamas while in captivity was not among the bodies returned to Israel on Thursday and the terrorist group is claiming it was a mix-up.

Hamas officials reportedly said Friday that the remains of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas were "turned into pieces after apparently being mixed with other bodies under the rubble," following an Israeli air strike that hit the place she was held in.

The bodies of Kfir Bibas, Ariel Bibas and Oded Lifshitz were returned to Israel more than 500 days after they were taken hostage, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed. 

FATHER OF HAMAS’ YOUNGEST HOSTAGES IS RELEASED — BUT HIS FAMILY REMAINS IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY

Before the return of the remains of the four slain hostages, Hamas said the bodies would include Shiri Bibas and her two toddlers, Ariel and Kfir, ages 4 and 10 months, as well as Oded Lifshitz, a retired journalist and activist. However, Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine could only determine the identity of two of the bodies, the young boys. 

Instead of sending the body of Shiri Bibas in the coffin bearing her name and photo, Hamas handed Israel an unidentified body. The IDF said the DNA of the body in the coffin does not match any other known hostage.

HAMAS HANDS OVER BODIES OF 4 SLAIN ISRAELIS, INCLUDING SHIRI BIBAS AND HER TWO YOUNG BOYS

"During the identification process, it was determined that the additional body received is not that of Shiri Bibas, and no match was found for any other hostage," the IDF said. "This is an anonymous, unidentified body."

"According to the assessment of professional officials, based on the intelligence available to us and forensic findings from the identification process, Ariel and Kfir Bibas were brutally murdered by terrorists in captivity in November 2023," authorities said. 

The Red Cross, which handled the transfer on Thursday, said it was "concerned and unsatisfied" by the way Hamas hostage release operations have taken place. 

"The ICRC does not participate in sorting, screening, or examining the deceased - this is the responsibility of the parties to the conflict", it said in a statement on Friday, while expressing concern that the releases had not been conducted privately and in a dignified manner.

Scientists who have been exploring the Red Sea have discovered natural death traps in the region now believed to be the location where Moses parted the waters.

The brine pools were found 4,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Aqaba, where the water is estimated to be up to 10 times saltier than normal seawater and a lack of oxygen causes the pools to kill or stun all marine life that enters it, according to a study published in Nature Communications.

The study also claimed larger predators lurk near the edge of the pools to grab the helpless prey after they have succumbed to the effects.

DEEP-SEA DISCOVERY: ANCIENT CORAL MAY HAVE BEEN THE FIRST GLOW-IN-THE-DARK CREATURES, STUDY FINDS

A research team led by Sam Purkis, a professor and chair of the Department of Marine Geosciences at the University of Miami, used remotely operated submersibles and deep-sea probes to explore the area of deep-sea trenches lying between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

The team speculates that the environment caused by these conditions also mimics the harsh conditions of early Earth and believe this is especially true for this location in the deep sea where they speculate life may have first emerged.

"Our current understanding is that life originated on Earth in the deep sea, almost certainly in anoxic—without oxygen—conditions," said Purkis. 

SPOOKY DEEP-SEA FISH RARELY SEEN BY HUMANS CAUGHT ON CAMERA IN SHALLOW WATER: 'NIGHTMARE FUEL'

The study even suggested that these "death pools" could possibly provide clues assisting in the search for extraterrestrial organisms.

This unique ecosystem is one of the most extreme environments on the planet, the study said, and that it was possible they resemble conditions found on distant "water worlds" beyond our solar system.

Because very few organisms survive in the brine pools, the sediment layers have remained undisturbed and have preserved an archive of past climate changes and geological events.

"Ordinarily, these animals bioturbate or churn up the seabed, disturbing the sediments that accumulate there," according to Purkis. "Not so with the brine pools. Here, any sedimentary layers that settle to the bed of the brine pool remain exquisitely intact."

He and his team hope the pristine conditions will allow them to better study ancient ocean conditions and assist them in reconstructing climate patterns and tracking the evolution of Earth’s ecosystems over millions of years.

Oceanographers have discovered similar formations in the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Antarctic Ocean, but none at this depth.

The mother of two young boys murdered by Hamas terrorists while in captivity was not among the bodies returned to Israel on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. 

Before the return of the remains of the four slain hostages, Hamas said the bodies would include Shiri Bibas and her two toddlers, Ariel and Kfir, ages 4 and 10 months, as well as Oded Lifshitz, a retired journalist and activist. However, Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine could only determine the identity of two of the bodies, the young boys. 

FATHER OF HAMAS’ YOUNGEST HOSTAGES IS RELEASED — BUT HIS FAMILY REMAINS IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY

"During the identification process, it was determined that the additional body received is not that of Shiri Bibas, and no match was found for any other hostage," the IDF said. "This is an anonymous, unidentified body."

"According to the assessment of professional officials, based on the intelligence available to us and forensic findings from the identification process, Ariel and Kfir Bibas were brutally murdered by terrorists in captivity in November 2023," authorities said. 

The family became symbols of the ordeal that has gripped Israel since the war in Gaza began. 

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Bibas family during this incredibly difficult time and remain committed to doing everything possible to ensure Shiri and all the hostages are brought home at the earliest opportunity," the IDF said. 

It called the deaths a "violation of utmost severity" by Hamas, while also demanding the terror group return the body of Shiri Bibas and all other hostages being held captive. 

HAMAS FREES 3 MORE HOSTAGES IN EXCHANGE FOR MORE THAN 300 PRISONERS AS PART OF CEASEFIRE DEAL WITH ISRAEL

Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, said Hamas continues to "violate every basic moral value," even after the death of the boys. 

"Instead of returning Shiri, the mother of Kfir and Ariel, Hamas returned an unidentified body, as if it were a worthless shipment," he wrote on X. "This is a new low, an evil and cruelty with no parallel."

He further said that UN Secretary-General António Guterres, UN the Security Council and the General Assembly continue to remain silent in the face of Hamas' "barbarity" and demanded Hamas to return the body of Shiri Bibas. 

"History will remember well who stood by and remained silent while Hamas trampled on the most basic principles of humanity," Danon wrote. 

The young boys and their mother were abducted in their home by Hamas terrorists during the terror group's deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Yarden Bibas, Ariel and Kfir's father, tried to protect them and was abducted prior to the kidnapping of his wife and children, the IDF said. 

Yarden returned as part of the agreement for the return of the hostages on Feb. 1. 

Thursday's release is the first one involving the transfer of slain hostages since the ceasefire deal went into effect last month.

About 70 hostages remain in Hamas custody. Nearly all the remaining hostages, including Israeli soldiers, are men and about half are believed to be dead.

The bodies of Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas and Oded Lifshitz were returned to Israel more than 500 days after the four of them were taken hostage. Hamas, though, was not finished disrespecting and using the hostages. 

Coffins containing the remains of the four murdered Israeli hostages were put on display in a ceremony that has been nearly universally condemned. The four coffins were laid out on stage in front of a grotesque caricature of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a banner that read in English, "The war criminal Netanyahu & his Nazi army killed them with missiles from Zionist warplanes."

On the coffin allegedly containing Shiri Bibas there was a photo of the young mother next to the words "arrest date" and the date of the Oct. 7 attacks. At the time of this writing, Israel has only confirmed the identity of Lifshitz. 

HAMAS HANDS OVER BODIES OF 4 SLAIN ISRAELIS, INCLUDING SHIRI BIBAS AND HER TWO YOUNG BOYS

"Under international law, any handover of the remains of [the] deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families," the United Nations Geneva tweeted, attributing the quote to High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

Türk’s condemnation of the Hamas ceremony, however, rang hollow for many who pointed out the U.N.’s reluctance to condemn the terror organization by name.

"Hamas parading four coffins onstage to music is evil and depraved," Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

"For 16 months, Israel has been fighting a deranged terrorist organization that places no value on human life, especially if it is Israeli or Jewish— all while international institutions like the UN refrained from condemning Hamas and formally demanding the immediate return of our hostages."

DANNY DANON REACTS TO ISRAELI HOSTAGES BEING RELEASED IN POOR HEALTH: 'ELIMINATING HAMAS IS THE ONLY SOLUTION'

On Oct. 7, 2023, Türk put out a statement that appeared to equate Hamas’ attacks with Israel’s response, saying he was "shocked and appalled" by the violent attacks and condemning Israel’s response.

Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and President and Human Rights Voice Anne Bayefsky accused Türk of being "one of the leading drivers of Palestinian terrorism and global antisemitism in the world today."

"He [Türk] personifies the use and abuse of ‘human rights’ as a front to perpetrate evil. He has blood on his hands," Bayefsky told Fox News Digital. "Volker Türk - the UN's top human rights official - is a human rights fraud who has more concern for Jews after death than saving Jewish lives from Palestinian savagery before they've perished."

‘NO SANE COUNTRY WOULD STAND FOR THIS’: LAWMAKERS LAUNCH EFFORT TO WITHDRAW US FROM UN

United Nations watchdog organization UN Watch called for Türk’s resignation in its December 2024 report showing that the human rights commissioner condemned the U.S. more than China, North Korea, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Qatar combined. The organization also accused Türk of focusing on the Jewish state.

"Türk was obsessed with condemning Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, making 58 condemnations during the past two years, with 49 on the Hamas-Israel war. To put this in perspective, over the same two years, the Maduro regime in Venezuela was criticized only 4 times," the report reads.

After the Oct. 7 attacks, Shiri Bibas and her sons, Kfir and Ariel, became symbols of Hamas’ brutality. The image of a terrified mother holding her 4-year-old and 9-month-old quickly spread around the world. Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and the father of Kfir and Ariel, was taken captive separately and was ultimately released from Gaza on Feb. 1.

In addition to the bodies of the Bibas family and Lifshitz, Israel is preparing to receive six living hostages on Saturday as part of its ongoing ceasefire deal with Hamas.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights but did not receive a response in time for publication. 

Two buses in a parking lot reportedly exploded in Israel Thursday night in what appears to have been a terrorist attack. No one was injured. Several other bombs were reportedly discovered on other buses, according to TPS-IL, an Israeli news agency.

Israeli officials have ordered all bus and train services halted while all vehicles are inspected for bombs following two bus explosions. Israeli police on Thursday reported a series of explosions on buses in central Israel in what they said appeared to be a militant attack.

This story is breaking. Please check back for updates. 

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday that she will propose constitutional reforms aimed at protecting the country’s sovereignty over concerns the U.S. military could cross the border to pursue Mexican drug cartels.

Sheinbaum made the remarks after the Trump administration designated six Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, stoking fears that President Donald Trump may be setting up the possibility for U.S. military action inside Mexico.

"The Mexican people will not accept under any circumstances interventions, interference or any other act from abroad that could be harmful to the integrity, independence and sovereignty of the nation," Sheinbaum said.

The Mexican cartels on the Trump administration’s list include the Sinaloa, Jalisco, Zetas, the Gulf Cartels, Cartel Unidos and "La Nueva Familia Michoacana." Other groups include the international Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the Salvadoran gang Mara Salvatrucha – also known as MS-13.

BORDER STATE OFFICIALS PUT CARTELS ON NOTICE AS THEY AWAIT GREEN LIGHT TO TAKE MAJOR ACTION

Mexico, which has long rejected such a move by the U.S. to designate cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, was not consulted about the decision, Sheinbaum said.

Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Sheinbaum’s predecessor, had already written into Mexican law limits to how foreign agents could operate in Mexico, limiting their independence and requiring that Mexican authorities be informed of their movements. Sheinbaum proposes enshrining those limits in the constitution.

SINALOA CARTEL TAKES ROOT IN AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOODS: WHERE ARE THEY?

"What we want to make clear in the face of this designation is that we do not negotiate sovereignty," Sheinbaum said. "This cannot be an opportunity for the United States to invade our sovereignty."

Sheinbaum also proposed a second reform to the constitution to create harsher penalties for Mexican nationals and foreigners involved in gun trafficking.

Mexico has long demanded that the U.S. do more to prevent guns from being smuggled into Mexico from the U.S.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

A village in the densely populated Philippine capital region launched a battle against dengue Wednesday by offering a token bounty to residents for captured mosquitoes — dead or alive.

The unusual strategy adopted by the Addition Hills village in Mandaluyong City reflects growing concern after the nearby city of Quezon declared an outbreak of the mosquito-borne illness over the weekend. Eight more areas reported an upsurge in cases of the potentially deadly viral infection.

At least 28,234 dengue cases have been recorded in the Philippines this year up to Feb. 1, a 40% increase compared to the same period last year, according to health department statistics. Quezon City declared a dengue outbreak on Saturday after deaths this year reached 10 people, mostly children, out of 1,769 residents infected.

US FLIES JOINT PATROL WITH THE PHILIPPINES NEAR SHOAL REGION GUARDED BY CHINA

An urban village of more than 100,000 residents living in crowded neighborhoods and residential condominium towers, Addition Hills has done clean-ups, canal de-clogging and a hygiene campaign to combat dengue. But when cases spiked to 42 this year and two young students died, village leader Carlito Cernal decided to intensify the battle.

"There was an alarm," Cernal told The Associated Press. "I found a way."

Residents will get a reward of one Philippines peso (just over 1 cent) for every five mosquitoes or mosquito larva they turn in, Cernal said.

Critics warned the strategy could backfire if desperate people start breeding mosquitoes for the reward. Cernal said that was unlikely because the campaign would be terminated as soon as the uptick in cases eases.

As the campaign began, about a dozen mosquito hunters showed up at the village office. Miguel Labag, a 64-year-old scavenger, handed a jug with 45 dark mosquito larvas squirming in some water and received a reward of nine pesos (15 cents).

"This is a big help," Labag said, smiling. "I can buy coffee."

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection found in tropical countries worldwide. It can cause joint pain, nausea, vomiting and rashes, and in severe cases can cause breathing problems, hemorrhaging and organ failure. While there is no specific treatment for the illness, medical care to maintain a person’s fluid levels is seen as critical.

Officials in another village in Quezon City were considering releasing swarms of frogs to eat mosquitoes.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said it’s crucial to clean up mosquito breeding sites, and for anyone who might be infected to seek immediate medical attention. Despite an increase in dengue infections, the Philippines has managed to maintain low mortality rates, he said.

Dengue cases surged unexpectedly ahead of the rainy season, which starts in June, likely because of intermittent downpours that have left stagnant pools of water where dengue-causing mosquitoes can breed, Health Undersecretary Alberto Domingo said, adding that climate change was likely contributing to off-season downpours.

Australia is "keeping close watch on" Chinese military ships traversing waters off its coast, Richard Marles, Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense, noted during an interview on Sky News Australia.

Marles said that the ships "have been abiding by international law," though he described the situation as "not unprecedented, but an unusual event." 

He said that while the ships have the right to be located in international waters, Australia has the right to surveil the ships.

CHINA OUTRAGED AFTER TRUMP STATE DEPARTMENT DELETES KEY PHRASE ON TAIWAN RELATIONS

"Defence is aware of a People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) task group operating to the north east of Australia," a Feb. 13 Australian Department of Defense statement noted. "Defence can confirm the Chinese vessels are the PLA-N Jiangkai-class frigate named Hengyang; the PLA-N Renhai cruiser named Zunyi and the PLA-N Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu.

"Defence routinely monitors all maritime traffic in our Exclusive Economic Zone and maritime approaches. The vessels travelled through Southeast Asia, before entering Australia’s maritime approaches. One of the vessels, the Hengyang, transited the waters to Australia’s north," the statement noted.

The Financial Times recently reported that Australia's navy had been shadowing China's vessels 150 nautical miles east of Sydney, Australia.

New Zealand's military was monitoring China's vessels "in coordination with Australia," New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins indicated in a statement, according to the Associated Press.

SCHUMER SPOTTED POSING FOR PHOTO WITH CCP OFFICIAL AS WARNINGS SWIRL ABOUT CHINA INFLUENCE

"We have not been informed by the Chinese government why this task group has been deployed into our region, and we have not been informed what its future plans are," she noted, according to the AP. "We will continue to monitor these vessels."

A Chinese fighter plane released flares near a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft earlier this month, Australia's Defense Department said in another Feb. 13 statement.

"On 11 February 2025, a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft conducting a routine maritime surveillance patrol in the South China Sea experienced an unsafe and unprofessional interaction with a PLA-AF J-16 fighter aircraft," the statement notes.

CBP FINDS 161K FAKE US STAMPS IN SHIPMENT FROM CHINA

"The PLA-AF aircraft released flares in close proximity to the RAAF P-8A aircraft. This was an unsafe and unprofessional manoeuvre that posed a risk to the aircraft and personnel," though Australia's plane andDefense Force personnel were not harmed during the incident, the statement indicated.

The Kremlin is suggesting that another U.S.-Russia prisoner swap could be coming, just days after the release of two Americans who were detained by Russia, a report says. 

The Kremlin said Thursday that the idea of a possible new prisoner exchange between Russia and the U.S. is on the agenda, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov noting that talks between both sides this week in Saudi Arabia contributed to a general rapprochement, according to Reuters. 

At least 10 Americans remain held in Russia, the news agency reported. Kalob Byers, a 28-year-old American citizen detained in Russia on drug smuggling charges earlier this month, was freed ahead of Tuesday’s talks in Riyadh.  

Byers’ release came as Marc Fogel, a U.S. citizen who was detained on drug charges in Russia four years ago, was released last week in exchange for Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik, who had been held by the U.S. government on cryptocurrency fraud charges. 

US, RUSSIAN OFFICIALS PROPOSE PEACE PLAN, LAY ‘GROUNDWORK FOR COOPERATION’ IN RIYADH 

After his arrival in the U.S., Fogel, from Pennsylvania, met with President Donald Trump at the White House and called him a hero for securing his release. 

U.S. and Russian officials held diplomatic talks in Saudi Arabia without any Ukrainian officials present on Tuesday. 

US RELEASING RUSSIAN PRISONER ALEXANDER VINNIK IN MARC FOGEL EXCHANGE, OFFICIAL SAYS 

The groups, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, were seeking terms for a peace agreement in Ukraine as well as negotiating a potential meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.  

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce also confirmed that Rubio's team agreed to "lay the groundwork for cooperation" with Russia on various issues in addition to Ukraine.  

Fox News’ Landon Mion, Anders Hagstrom, Jacqui Heinrich and Brie Stimson contributed to this report.