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Dozens of passengers are feared dead after an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, reports say.

The Embraer 190 passenger jet flying from Azerbaijan to Russia had 62 passengers and five crew on board, Kazakh authorities announced, saying 32 survivors had been rescued.

Flight J2-8243 had flown hundreds of miles off its scheduled route to crash on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea. Officials did not immediately explain why it had crossed the sea, but the crash came shortly after drone strikes hit southern Russia. Drone activity has shut airports in the area in the past and the nearest Russian airport on the plane's flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.

Russia's aviation watchdog, meanwhile, said it was an emergency that may have been caused by a bird strike.

MORE THAN 30 DEAD IN BRAZIL BUS AND TRUCK COLLISION

Those aboard the plane included 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russian nationals, six Kazakhstani and three Kyrgyzstani citizens, according to Kazakhstani officials. 

Russian news agency Interfax reported that both pilots died in the crash, citing a preliminary assessment by emergency workers at the scene. The news agency also quoted medical workers who stated that four bodies had been recovered from the crash so far. 

A total of 29 survivors, including two children, have been hospitalized, the ministry told Russia's state news agency, RIA Novosti, the Associated Press reported. Many passengers have yet to be accounted for.

MALAYSIA AGREES TO RESUME 'NO FIND, NO FEE' HUNT FOR FLIGHT MH370, 10 YEARS AFTER PLANE DISAPPEARED

Video of the crash showed the plane descending rapidly before bursting into flames as it hit the seashore, and thick black smoke then rising, Reuters reported. Bloodied and bruised passengers could be seen stumbling from a piece of the fuselage that had remained intact.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who had been traveling to Russia, returned to Azerbaijan upon hearing news of the crash, the president’s press service said. Aliyev was due to attend an informal meeting of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a bloc of former Soviet countries founded after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in St. Petersburg.

Aliyev expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in a statement on social media. 

"It is with deep sadness that I express my condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured," he wrote.

He also signed a decree declaring Dec. 26 a day of mourning in Azerbaijan.

In a statement, Azerbaijan Airlines said it would keep members of the public updated and changed its social media banners to solid black.

"We ask God for mercy on the passengers and crew members who lost their lives," a translated statement on X said. "Their pain is our pain. We wish a speedy recovery to those injured." 

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Pope Francis delivered his annual "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) Christmas message and blessing from the Vatican on Wednesday, calling for peace around the globe and an end to ongoing conflicts.

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church mentioned the war between Russia and Ukraine directly and called for "the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation" during the address that serves as a summary of the woes facing the world this year.

"May the sound of weapons be silenced in Ukraine," Francis said from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to thousands of people in the square below. He also called for "gestures of dialogue and encounter, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace."

Francis, 88, is celebrating the 12th Christmas of his pontificate by calling for an end to conflicts, political, social or military, in places including Lebanon, Mali, Mozambique, Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.

POPE TO SKIP OUTDOOR SUNDAY PRAYER AFTER CATCHING COLD DAYS AHEAD OF CHRISTMAS EVE, DAY MASSES

Francis, who has been pope since 2013, was criticized by Ukrainian officials this year when he said the country should have the courage of the "white flag" to negotiate an end to the war with Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously ruled out engaging in peace talks without the restoration of Ukraine's pre-war borders. But Zelenskyy has shown an increasing willingness in the weeks since Donald Trump's re-election as U.S. president to enter negotiations.

PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP APPOINTS OUTSPOKEN CONSERVATIVE AS VATICAN AMBASSADOR: ‘BLESSINGS AND RESPONSIBILITIES’

Francis, who has recently grown more critical of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, also renewed his call for a cease-fire in the Israeli-Hamas war and for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

He called the humanitarian situation in Gaza "extremely grave" and asked for "the doors of dialogue and peace (to) be flung open."

Christmas marked the start of the 2025 Holy Year celebration that is expected to bring about 32 million Catholics to Rome, according to the Associated Press.

Pilgrims lined up early Wednesday to walk through the great Holy Door at the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica. Traversing the Holy Door is one way that the faithful can obtain indulgences, or forgiveness for sins during a Jubilee, a once-every-quarter-century tradition that dates from 1300. 

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On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis knocked on the door and was the first to walk through it, inaugurating the 2025 Jubilee that he dedicated to hope.

A Catholic Holy Year, also known as a Jubilee, is considered a time of peace, forgiveness and pardon.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. 

A Russian-born U.S. citizen who was already behind bars in Russia on a bribery conviction has been handed a second sentence for espionage.

Eugene Spector was sentenced to a new 15-year term for his espionage conviction, according to Russian news agencies. Spector was born and raised in Leningrad, Russia, but later moved to the U.S. and became a citizen.

A Moscow court brought espionage charges against Spector in August of last year, although details surrounding the case were not made publicly available.

RUSSIA ARRESTS US CITIZEN ON ESPIONAGE CHARGES: REPORT

The U.S. State Department said it was aware of reports of a U.S. citizen in Russia being sentenced and that it was monitoring the situation.

Spector, a former executive at a medical equipment company in Russia, was sentenced in September 2022 to three and a half years in prison for enabling bribes to an aide of former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich.

WALL STREET JOURNAL'S EVAN GERSHKOVICH REVEALS SHADOWY KREMLIN FIGURE BEHIND IMPRISONMENT IN RUSSIA

The aide, Anastasia Alekseyeva, was sentenced to 12 years in April for accepting bribes of two expensive overseas vacation trips.

Dvorkovich was a deputy prime minister under former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in 2012 to 2018. Dvorkovich is currently head of the international chess federation FIDE.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wished Christians worldwide a merry Christmas and thanked the Christian community for its support amid the Jewish state's ongoing conflicts with terror groups.

Netanyahu published a video message on Christmas Eve on his account on the social media platform X.

"My dear Christian friends, as you gather with your family and friends this Christmas, I wish the Christian community in Israel and around the world blessings for a Merry Christmas from the Holy Land," he said.

NETANYAHU WARNS HOUTHIS AMID CALLS FOR ISRAEL TO WIPE OUT TERROR LEADERSHIP AS IT DID WITH NASRALLAH, SINWAR

This comes as Israeli forces have been involved in ongoing conflicts against terror groups including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack, which led to military retaliation from Israel.

"At a time when Israel is fighting on seven fronts, we deeply appreciate the steadfast support of our Christian friends around the world. You've stood by our side, you've stood by our side resiliently, consistently, forcefully as Israel defends our civilization against barbarism," Netanyahu said.

ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES TARGET YEMEN'S HOUTHI-CONTROLLED CAPITAL OF SANAA, PORT CITY OF HODEIDA

"The people of Israel are united in defending our nation against those bent on our destruction," he continued. "We seek peace with all those who wish peace with us, but we will do whatever is necessary to defend the one and only Jewish state, the repository and the source of our common heritage."

There are more than 180,000 Christians who live in Israel, making up about 1.8% of the country’s population of more than 9.9 million people, according to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics.

The Christian population grew by 0.6% last year.

"Israel leads the world in fighting the forces of evil and tyranny, but our battle is not yet over," the prime minister said. "With your support, and with God's help, I assure you, we shall prevail. From Jerusalem, city of peace, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year."

TEL AVIV – Amid negotiations to forge a hostages-for-cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and as the truce with Hezbollah in Lebanon mostly holds, Jerusalem has an opportunity to direct additional military resources to cut Yemen’s Houthi leadership down to size, according to former Israeli officials.

"Israel has to accelerate and expand attacks [in Yemen], not only on national infrastructure but also on the political leadership," retired Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin, former head of Israeli Military Intelligence and president of MIND Israel, told Fox News Digital. 

"Targeted killings are an option if there is good intelligence to enable such operations. The leaders of the Houthis should meet Sinwar and Nasrallah and the sooner the better," he added.

US NAVY SHIPS REPEL ATTACK FROM HOUTHIS IN GULF OF ADEN

An Israel Defense Forces strike killed Hezbollah terror master Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sept. 28, while Israeli ground troops eliminated Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Oct. 17, and Hamas' Ismail Haniyeh in Iran last summer.

The Houthis are led by Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi (Abu Jibril), whom the U.S. State Department designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2021.

According to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), other top officials include Abdul Khaliq Badruddin Al-Houthi (Abu Yunis), commander of the Republican Guard (Presidential Reserve), whom the U.S. also blacklisted in 2021; Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi (Abu Ahmad), a member of the Supreme Political Council; and Abdul Karim Amiruddin Husayn Al-Houthi, interior minister and director of the executive office of Ansar Allah.

Joe Truzman, a research analyst at FDD's Long War Journal, told Fox News Digital that intel-based assassination operations take time and that, to date, the Israelis have been preoccupied with Gaza and Lebanon.

"But it can be done. We’ve seen Israel target nuclear scientists and military personnel in Iran. This can be replicated in Yemen. If the Houthis continue these attacks, more of Israel’s focus turns to them," Truzman said.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser in Israel and a senior fellow at the Washington-based JINSA think tank, outlined to Fox News Digital the intricacy of such attempts.

US MILITARY CONDUCTS SUCCESSFUL AIRSTRIKES ON HOUTHI REBEL FORCES IN YEMEN

"You have to be sure that a target is in the place that you bomb. If he has three houses, how do you know which one he's in? You need real-time intel," said Amidror, who noted that it was relatively easy for Israel to hit Nasrallah from the moment his exact location was known.

"It took 15-20 minutes to strike [the Hezbollah headquarters] in Beirut because it is so close to Israel," he said. "Yemen is a huge logistical operation, it requires refueling jets, let alone the tactical issues on the ground. A totally different sort of intelligence is needed.

"Both Nasrallah and Sinwar were known enemies and we amassed information on them over many years, but the Houthis were not a priority," continued Amidror. "The way forward is to begin intensifying the collection of intelligence by building bridges with those who can provide it." 

Overnight Wednesday, the IAF struck targets some 1,200 miles away in Yemen, after a Houthi missile hit an elementary school in Ramat Gan, just east of Tel Aviv.

The pre-dawn strikes were conducted in two waves, targeting the Ras Isa oil terminal on the Red Sea, the Hodeidah and Salif ports, as well as the D’Habban and Haziz power stations in Sana'a, according to reports.

In July, a Houthi drone killed a civilian in Tel Aviv, prompting the IAF to strike Yemen’s Hodeidah Port. Israeli jets also conducted dozens of strikes in the area of Hodeidah in September.

Overall, the Houthis have launched over 200 missiles and 170 drones at Israel since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 people. Since then, the Houthis have also attacked more than six dozen commercial vessels – particularly in the Bab-el-Mandeb, the southern maritime gateway to Egypt’s Suez Canal.

"The distance to Yemen is about the longest range the IAF has ever flown, but they could expand that with more refueling," Brig. Gen. (res.) Relik Shafir, a former IAF pilot who took part in Operation Opera, the attack on Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor on June 7, 1981, told Fox News Digital. 

"It’s uncomfortable for a pilot to sit in an F-15, F-16 or F-35 for seven hours. You need to be fully aware and at your top level of concentration," he continued. "Israel can strike far enough for any existing enemy and the air force uses guided missiles that fire at a precision of two or three feet."

On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a warning to the Houthis, "We will strike their strategic infrastructure and decapitate their leaders. Just as we did to [former Hamas chief Ismail] Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah, in Tehran, Gaza and Lebanon – we will do in Hodeidah and Sanaa." 

Jerusalem had previously refrained from taking responsibility for the July 31 killing of Haniyeh, who traveled to the Iranian capital for the inauguration of the country’s president.

On Friday, U.S. Defense Department spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder stated that the Israelis "certainly have a right to defend themselves." 

The Houthis "are a danger to everybody in the Middle East," former Mossad head Efraim Halevy told Fox News Digital. "In the end, most countries in the region will be interested and willing to cooperate in efforts to bring about the end of these attacks, which have no justification whatsoever."

ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES TARGET YEMEN'S HOUTHI-CONTROLLED CAPITAL OF SANAA, PORT CITY OF HODEIDA

Halevy insisted that "terrorist activity of every kind is a challenge that has to be met with an appropriate response. The Houthis have incurred losses and if they continue to provoke us, we will have to do more."

In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition launched a military intervention against the Houthis at the request of then-Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who had been ousted from Sana'a the previous September. Yemen’s civil war remains stalemated, with the internationally recognized government, led by the Presidential Leadership Council since 2022, based in Aden, in the country’s south, since February 2015.

A source close to that government told Israel's Kan public broadcaster on Saturday that Jerusalem should initiate assassinations of Houthi leaders, while the Saudi outlet Al-Arabiya reported that senior Houthi officials had fled Sana’a out of concern they would be targeted.

"We need to understand more deeply what it is that would cripple the Houthis’ ability to operate," former Israeli national security adviser Eyal Hulata told Fox News Digital. "For this, we need more intelligence, more assessments and coordination between the different parties."

The big question, Hulata posited, is whether the Houthis will continue to pose a threat if Israel and Hamas agree to a cease-fire.

"If they become a major enemy, Israel will need to address this by directing resources it was hoping to avoid – and maybe is still hoping to," he said.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Israelis to be "patient" while intimating Jerusalem was preparing to up the intensity of its campaign against the Houthis.

"We will take forceful, determined and sophisticated action. Even if it takes time, the result will be the same," he vowed. "Just as we have acted forcefully against the terror arms of Iran’s axis of evil, so too will we act against the Houthis."

The U.S. military conducted an airstrike on Monday in Syria, where they killed a pair of ISIS operatives and destroyed a truckload of weapons, according to U.S. Central Command.

A precision airstrike in the Dayr az Zawr Province, which was formerly controlled by the Syrian regime and Russians, killed two ISIS operatives and wounded another, CENTCOM said.

TRUMP COULD FACE RENEWED ISIS THREAT IN SYRIA AS TURKEY GOES AFTER US ALLY

The operatives were driving a truckload of weapons, which was destroyed, when they were targeted in the strike.

BIDEN ADMIN LIFTS $10M BOUNTY ON THE HEAD OF LEADER OF ISLAMIST GROUP NOW IN CHARGE OF SYRIA

"This airstrike is part of CENTCOM's ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond," CENTCOM said in a statement.

A Peruvian police officer dressed as the Grinch, the cantankerous and green-furred villain, busted suspected drug traffickers in the South American country's capital days before Christmas. 

The operation in San Bartolo in Lima resulted in the arrest of three suspects, according to a video posted online by the Peruvian National Police. 

"In an ingenious operation, agents of the Green Squad arrested the aliases La Reina del Sur, La Coneja and Pote, alleged members of the La Mafia de San Bartolo gang, dedicated to drug dealing," a police post on X states. "Various narcotics were seized."

FLORIDA MAN WHO WAS HALF-NAKED, 'HIGH ON METH' BREAKS INTO HOME, GRABS CARPET CLEANER

Using what appeared to be a sledgehammer, the officer walked down the street dressed as the infamous Christmas villain with a small heart before breaking down the front door of a home and entering, according to the video footage. 

The suspects were arrested, and the "Grinch" is seen rummaging through various items in the home before finding what authorities said were illegal drugs and other items related to drug trafficking.

MORE THAN $31M OF METH CONCEALED IN SHIPMENT OF PEPPERS SEIZED AT TEXAS-MEXICO BORDER

Peru is the second-largest producer of cocaine and cultivator of coca in the world, according to the State Department. 

"The majority of cocaine produced in Peru is transported to South American countries for domestic consumption, or for onward shipment to Europe, the United States, East Asia, and Mexico," the State Department website said. 

Peru's national police force has carried out similar operations in the past. 

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On Halloween 2023, officers disguised as horror favorites Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and Tiffany Valentine, the murderous doll in the "Child's Play" series, also broke into the home of alleged drug dealers. 

FIRST ON FOX: The former Prime Minister of Georgia, Nika Gilauri, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that the country now has Russian-styled elections, and the country has no credible or legitimate parliament, adding another blow to Georgia’s long struggle to join the European Union.

"The elections were rigged, and we have an illegitimate parliament right now," Gilauri told Fox News Digital.

For many in Georgia’s battle for democracy, the Russian-supported Georgian Dream’s election victory was no doubt a win for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

PUTIN LOOKS TO HALT NEIGHBORING GEORGIA'S WESTERN AMBITIONS IN VITAL ELECTION

"Putin was praising Georgia’s government on its standing against European pressure just within minutes of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement on stopping the European integration process of Georgia," Gilauri said.

"It all looks very much orchestrated," the former prime minister added.

Gilauri, who was prime minister of Georgia from 2009 to 2012, said that you can see Russia’s hands all over the events taking place in Georgia right now. The former prime minister said Russian President Vladimir Putin has a recent pattern of interfering in the affairs of its neighbors, citing a decision by the Romanian constitutional court annulling the country’s presidential election because of Russian involvement, as well as efforts to undermine Moldovan democracy by sowing chaos in its political system.  

"So, we have a very similar scenario, and it was written in Moscow. It was done in Romania, in Moldova, in Ukraine, and it is being done in Georgia right now," Gilauri said.

Thousands of Georgians have battled freezing temperatures and the authorities for nearly a month since the pro-Russia Georgian Dream party claimed victory in elections and halted efforts to join the European Union.

More than 460 people have been detained since peaceful protests broke out on Nov. 29, with around 300 reporting severe beatings and other ill-treatment, according to Amnesty International.

US WARNS RUSSIAN-LINKED ACTORS SEEKING TO 'FOMENT MANUFACTURED INSURRECTION' IN EUROPEAN COUNTRY

Gilauri also said that Georgia’s president, Salome Zourabichvili, should not step down and should remain in her post. Zourabichvili’s presidential term ends on Dec. 29, and the new Georgian Dream majority in parliament already appointed her successor, Mikheil Kavelashvili.

"Georgia’s president, Salome Zourabichvili, is the only legitimate institution that Georgia has right now," Gilauri said.

Zourabichvili, who is pro-Europe, declared that the elections were fraudulent, and that parliament was illegitimate and had no authority to appoint her replacement. The Georgian Dream-backed Kavelashvili is critical of the West, and the opposition views him as an extension of Georgian Dream’s ambitions of moving the country closer to Russia and away from their European ambitions.

President Zourabichvili said the October parliamentary elections were essentially stolen and that she would not step down. Thousands gathered to hear Zourabichvili speak at a rally on Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi Sunday night, with the president calling on Georgian Dream leaders to negotiate and hold new elections.

"I am ready to sit down and find a solution on how to schedule elections, but the decision must be agreed upon by the 29th," the president posted on X.

While Zourabichvili has become the de facto leader of the protest movement, her decision could cause further chaos once her presidential term officially comes to an end on the 29th.

RUSSIAN INFLUENCE PEDDLING ADDS TO FEARS AFTER ELECTION OF UNTESTED PRESIDENT IN EUROPEAN NATION

Georgia’s current prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, suggested Zourabichvili be imprisoned if she does not step down from the presidency.

Georgian Dream, the Russian-supported party, claimed victory shortly after polls closed on election night, with around 54% of the vote. The united opposition garnered only 38%. Reuters reported that Georgian Dream says it remains committed to integration with the West, and to a pragmatic policy towards neighboring Russia.

Radio Free Europe reported that Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said after voting in October's election said, "This is a referendum between war and peace, between immoral propaganda and traditional values. This is a referendum between the country's dark past and a bright future."

Many opposition figures reject the victory claimed by Georgian Dream and call the election stolen and rigged.

The Georgian president and many Western observers confirmed that the election results were marred by irregularities, including fraud and ballot stuffing.

The election was "marked by a tense environment and several incidents of physical altercations and widespread intimidation of voters," the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), noted in a statement. European Council President Charles Michel is calling for an investigation into the alleged irregularities.

Many Georgians have strong aspirations to join the EU, with polls showing up to 83% of them supporting such a move. The Georgian Dream Party has stalled Georgia’s efforts of joining the EU since it became a candidate member in 2023. The EU subsequently put Georgia’s process on hold after a controversial "foreign agent" law that required citizens, non-governmental organizations, media outlets and other civil society organizations that receive over 20% in funding from abroad to register as a foreign agent with the Justice Ministry.

Following the passage of the pro-Kremlin foreign agent law, the U.S. imposed sanctions and travel bans on Georgian officials who voted for the law and security agencies responsible for cracking down on dissent. The State Department also paused $95 million in assistance to the government.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iran has recruited young children to commit attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets across Europe, a new trend amid several blows to Iranian proxies in recent months and dwindling influence in the Middle East.

The troubling pattern includes incidents in Sweden, Belgium and Norway as Tehran has expanded its proxy war against Israel into Europe.

In Stockholm, a 15-year-old boy with a loaded gun took a taxi in May and asked to be taken to the Israeli Embassy. However, he had to call an associate for directions when he was unable to locate the building. Swedish police stopped the cab before it reached the destination. 

IRAN HIDING MISSILE, DRONE PROGRAMS UNDER GUISE OF COMMERCIAL FRONT TO EVADE SANCTIONS

Authorities had been monitoring him for several months. 

A 13-year-old in Gothenburg was caught firing shots at Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems. At the same facility, a 16-year-old helped plant homemade explosives outside the main entrance, Bloomberg reported.

In Brussels, security services found children as young as 14 orchestrating an attack on the Israeli Embassy. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Iranian Mission to the United States for comment. 

Recruiters acting on behalf of the Iranian regime have reached out to minors on platforms like Telegram, TikTok or WhatsApp, according to Peter Nesser, a terrorism researcher at a Norwegian defense research institute. 

The new tactic comes as Iran's influence has severely weakened in the Middle East amid Israel's deadly response to devastating attacks from Hamas and Hezbollah, both Iranian proxies.

ISRAEL EYES IRAN NUKE SITES AMID REPORTS TRUMP MULLS MOVES TO BLOCK TEHRAN ATOMIC PROGRAM

In addition, the recent ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has compounded Iran's woes in the region. 

While some young people recruited by Iran are acting out of frustration at Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, some are motivated by money. In Sweden and Norway, they can't be prosecuted if they are under 15, the report said. 

"There are cases where the proxies aren’t aware or don’t realize that they are acting on behalf of a foreign power," the Swedish Security Service said in a statement this year.

The 16-year-old who attacked Elbit Systems used two thermos flasks packed with explosives in an attack on the Israeli defense company and was charged alongside a 23-year-old accomplice, according to Bloomberg. 

Sweden has seen an increasing presence of organized criminal gangs recruiting minors from immigrant communities. 

More than 1.5 million people have moved to the country since 1980 and now around 20% of the population has been born outside the country, but many struggle to assimilate, the report said.

A group of four NATO leaders and a representative from the European Union on Sunday said they agreed it was time to invest more in defense spending as Russia remains a chief security threat in Europe amid the war in Ukraine, and as Western leaders brace for the incoming Trump administration. 

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis argued the era of spending 2% of a nation’s GDP on defense was "probably history" but he, along with the other four leaders in attendance at the North-South Summit in Lapland, Finland fell short of saying what that figure should look like. 

"We know that we need to spend more than 2%," Mitsotakis said. "But it will become very clear… once we interact with the new president, what is the figure that we will agree on within NATO."

PUTIN SAYS RUSSIA READY TO COMPROMISE WITH TRUMP ON UKRAINE WAR

The summit was convened by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, and was also attended by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

The leaders were questioned about a recent report by the Financial Times that said President-elect Donald Trump intends to push NATO to increase its defense spending requirement from 2% to 5% — a requirement that would demand all nations, including the U.S. which spends just over 3% of its GDP, to drastically increase spending on defense.

The Trump transition team did not answer Fox News Digital’s questions on whether Trump is going to be pushing all NATO nations, including the U.S., to drastically ramp up defense spending.

Instead, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team said, "President Trump believes European nations should meet their NATO defense spending obligations and step up their share of the burden for this conflict, as the U.S. has paid significantly more, which is not fair to our taxpayers. He will do what is necessary to restore peace and rebuild American strength and deterrence on the world stage."

Fox News Digital also could not get clarity over whether an increase in defense spending would be supported by GOP lawmakers given the large number of conservatives in Congress, as well as his Vice President-elect, who have called for cutting U.S. aid to Ukraine, as well as last week’s internal fighting in the House among Republican lawmakers over spending disagreements. 

Even as NATO leaders at the North-South Summit agreed Russia is Europe’s "greatest threat," they urged caution when it came to dealing with "rumors" surrounding the incoming Trump administration. 

NATO CHIEF URGES MEMBERS TO 'TURBOCHARGE' DEFENSE PRODUCTION AS HE PAINTS PICTURE OF A WORLD BOUND FOR WAR

"I would wait to understand exactly what is the real will of the new president of the US," Meloni said, according to a Bloomberg report. "On NATO, we all know and understand that we have to do more. A lot of what we can do is up to the tools that we are able to put on the table."

The Finnish prime minster echoed a similar sentiment and said, "Europe has to take greater responsibility for its own security. This means that European countries have to be strong leaders, both in the EU and in NATO.

"[Russia] is trying to consolidate power and sow discord in Europe. The geopolitical situation is also very challenging in the Middle East and North Africa, for example," Orpo added, according to Euro News. 

Kristersson said spending more on defense was important, in part, so that European nations were less dependent on the U.S. being "the main sponsor" of the alliance’s defense, but also to show Washington that European nations do take defense "seriously."

"European countries — individually, most of us, and collectively — need to strengthen our defense. And let’s do that," he said. 

Trump during his first administration pushed NATO leaders to meet their 2% defense spending pledge, which several did — increasing the number of allies to meet the terms of the NATO agreement from five in 2016 to nine in 2020.

But that number dropped to just six once Trump left in 2021.

By 2022, however, NATO leaders have once again began re-evaluating their defense budgets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and by 2024, a historic number of NATO allies had met their spending agreements, with 23 out of 32 nations spending at least 2% of their GDP on defense. 

Only Poland spends over 4% of its GDP on defense, while four nations spend over 3%, including Estonia, the U.S., Latvia and Greece. 

Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Spain have yet to meet their defense spending commitments.

Concerns over a resurgence of the Islamic State in Syria remain heightened following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime and an increase in attacks targeting U.S.-aligned Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

President-elect Donald Trump may well face another round against the extremist group as the SDF faces a reality in which it may have to divide its focus between ISIS and threats levied at it by Turkey.

The SDF said five of its soldiers were killed Saturday in attacks by Turkish-backed forces in northern Syria, reported Reuters. 

TRUMP SAYS TURKEY ‘DID AN UNFRIENDLY TAKEOVER’ IN SYRIA AS US-BROKERED CEASE-FIRE APPEARS TO FAIL

The attacks came following an apparent collapse in a cease-fire agreement brokered by the Biden administration as the U.S. and the SDF ramp up efforts to counter ISIS. 

National security advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday told CNN that his "single biggest concern" is the return of ISIS, which was deemed "defeated" in 2019. 

"ISIS loves vacuums," he said in reference to the extremist group’s use of power struggles in places like North Africa to gain footholds. "What we see in Syria right now are areas that are basically ungoverned because of the fall of the Assad regime. 

"Our goal is to ensure that we support the SDF — the Kurds — and that we keep ISIS in check," he added.

The U.S. has long had to balance its campaign against ISIS in Syria — which it is fighting with the help of the Kurdish coalition forces, despite Turkey deeming the SDF as akin to the terrorist network the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) — with Washington's partnership alongside Ankara as a NATO ally. 

"The SDF and the Assad regime were the primary opponents of ISIS," Bill Roggio, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and founding editor of "The Long War Journal," told Fox News Digital. "With the former gone and the latter under pressure from Turkish proxies, concerns about the expansion of ISIS are warranted."

"Turkey wants to destroy the SDF," Roggio confirmed. "Turkey has the ideal opportunity to destroy the SDF, and it will take advantage of this unique situation. I expect attack[s] against the SDF to increase."

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The Biden administration has already taken steps to ramp up its campaign against ISIS, hitting more than 75 sites in a significant strike earlier this month on known "ISIS leaders, operatives and camps," U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed.

The operation coincided with the fall of Damascus on Dec. 8 following a sweeping takeover of Aleppo, Hama and Homs by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was aided by the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA).

In addition, CENTCOM on Thursday killed ISIS leader Abu Yusif aka Mahmud using a precision airstrike in eastern Syria — an area where, according to Syrian news outlets, ISIS has been able to seize weapons depots belonging to the former Syrian military under the Assad regime amid the "chaos."

SDF forces in an attempt to clamp down on ISIS uprisings captured 18 ISIS terrorists and suspected collaborators on Sunday near the city of Raqqa, which was once an ISIS stronghold, according to ANF News.

The campaign was reportedly done "in cooperation with the international coalition forces," but CENTCOM has not yet confirmed whether the U.S. was involved. 

But concern remains high that the SDF could see its operational abilities divided as attacks from the Turkey-backed SNA coalition forces increase — which could spell trouble for the upcoming Trump administration as it looks to prevent another resurgence of ISIS, while balancing U.S. relations with Turkey, which is further expected to exercise outsized influence over the new Syrian government.

"We continue to monitor the situation in Syria," Brian Hughes, Trump-Vance Transition spokesperson said in response to questions from Fox News Digital. "President Trump is committed to diminishing threats to peace and stability in the Middle East and to protecting Americans here at home."

Displaying a beautifully decorated and illuminated Christmas tree in homes is a beloved holiday tradition, but the origins of how this tradition came to be is one that is still debated today.

One country that claims to be the home of the world's first Christmas tree is Latvia. 

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Several sources, including the National Christmas Tree Association, note that the first written record of a decorated Christmas tree was from Riga, Latvia. 

Men of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads, an association of unmarried merchants and foreign traders, are said to have decorated the tree with artificial roses. 

They brought the tree to the marketplace, danced around it and then set it on fire in 1510, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. 

Today, a plaque engraved with the words "The First New Year's Tree in Riga in 1510" in eight languages is on display in Latvia. 

PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT SOLD CHRISTMAS TREES TO LOCAL RESIDENTS ON HIS OWN ESTATE IN THE 1930S

Each year, a Christmas tree is featured in Riga, where the first one is said to have stood. 

Tallinn, Estonia, contradicts the idea that Latvia was home to the first tree, claiming the title for itself.

Several sources, including Visit Tallinn, note that the Brotherhood of the Blackheads brought a tree to Tallinn Town Square in 1441, predating the tree in Latvia.

Similar to Riga, Tallinn also displays a Christmas tree in the main square annually during the holiday season.

CHRISTMAS TREES IN GERMANY WERE DECORATED WITH APPLES INSTEAD OF ORNAMENTS IN 1600S FOR ‘ADAM AND EVE DAY’

Both European cities boast holiday activities during the winter months, including Christmas markets, festive decor and merry performances. Visitors will find plenty to explore during the holiday season, so long as they don't mind the cold. 

The cold climate does bring plenty of snowfall in both Latvia and Estonia, so a white Christmas is definitely a possibility.  

Though the topic of where the first Christmas tree officially came from could result in a festive feud, where the tradition began of displaying trees inside homes is less of a debate. 

The tradition of bringing Christmas trees into homes is believed to have originated in Germany during the 1600s, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. 

During the time, apples, red strips of paper and gilded nuts were all popular decorations to add to a Christmas tree, according to the source. 

It was the 1800s when the Christmas tree tradition started gaining traction in the United States, according to History.com. 

It wasn't until 1901 when the first Christmas tree farm opened in the country. W.V. McGalliard was responsible for opening the country's very first Christmas tree farm in New Jersey when he planted 25,000 Norway spruce, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. 

Today, there are around 15,000 Christmas tree farms around the United States. 

Many families find holiday joy in going to the Christmas tree farm each year to pick out the tree that will be the festive centerpiece of their home for December.

Christmas, Navidad in Puerto Rico, extends far beyond Dec. 25. 

The island proudly proclaims itself as having the "longest holiday season in the world," according to the website Discover Puerto Rico. 

On average, the holiday festivities in Puerto Rico last about 45 days, per the source, commencing right after Thanksgiving, and stretching all the way through mid-January. 

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The holiday season in Puerto Rico is full of rich traditions beloved by families. 

One tradition those who visit Puerto Rico will immediately notice during the holiday season is decorations. 

In Puerto Rico, decorations are typically put up by Thanksgiving, and kept up until the season concludes in mid-January, with opportune picture moments at every corner. 

Parrandas, Christmas caroling, is a holiday staple. 

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Carolers choose houses of family and friends to visit, typically starting around 10 p.m., performing aguinaldos (traditional Christmas songs), with not only their voices, but often with instruments as well, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

The group you begin caroling with is likely not the same group you end with. 

In Puerto Rico, when carolers visit a house, they'll often stop inside for conversation, food and drink before moving to the next residence. 

Usually, the residences of the house visited will join the group for the next house, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

CHRISTMAS TREES IN GERMANY WERE DECORATED WITH APPLES INSTEAD OF ORNAMENTS IN THE 1600S FOR ‘ADAM AND EVE DAY’

A night of serenading loved ones can last quite a while, often stretching into the early morning hours of the following day, according to the source. 

The biggest day of the holiday season in Puerto Rico actually isn't Christmas, but instead, the night before. 

In Puerto Rico, Dec. 24 is Nochebuena. On that day, loved ones gather for the exchange of gifts, caroling and a large feast. 

Many families will also attend a midnight Mass on the day, known as Misa de Gallo. 

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After Christmas passes, the festivities go on in Puerto Rico. 

Another big event in the holiday lineup is Three Kings Day on Jan. 6, a holiday that "commemorates the visit that the Three Wise Men paid to Jesus after his birth," according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

On the eve of the day, children fill up a shoebox with grass to be left for camels to munch on while the Three Kings leave behind gifts for them, according to PuertoRico.com. 

For a particularly festive Three Kings Day, Juana Díaz is the place to go, as it hosts the largest celebration in Puerto Rico for the holiday. In Juana Díaz, there is an annual festival and parade in honor of Three Kings Day that brings together over 25,000 people every year, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

Then, eight days later is Octavitas, a post-holiday celebration where families get together and celebrate one last time for the season. 

The end of the holiday season is marked with the San Sebastián Street Festival.

This festival, spanning over multiple days, takes place in Old San Juan, and is filled with live music, dancing, shopping and parades. 

FIRST ON FOX - Aviva Siegel, the wife of American hostage Kieth Siegel and a former hostage herself, is pleading with everyone and anyone involved in the hostage negotiations to get her husband, and the others, freed from Hamas captivity after they have spent more than 440 days in deplorable conditions. 

"Hamas released a video of Keith, and I just saw the picture," Aviva told Fox News Digital in an emotional interview in reference to a video Hamas released in April. "He looks terrible. His bones are out, and you can see that he's lost a lot of weight.

"He doesn't look like himself. And I'm just so worried about him, because so [many] days and minutes have passed since that video that we received," she said. "I just don't know what kind of Keith that we're going to get back."

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"I'm worried about all the hostages, because the conditions that they are in are the worst conditions that any human being could go through," Aviva said. "I was there. I touched death. I know what it feels being underneath the ground with no oxygen. 

"Keith and I were just left there. We were left there to die," she added. 

Aviva and her husband of, at the time 42 years, were brutally abducted from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and held together for 51 days before she was released in the November 2023 hostage exchange after suffering from a stomach infection that left her incredibly ill. 

She has since tirelessly fought for Kieth’s release, meeting with top officials in the U.S. and Israel, traveling to the United States nine times in the last year and becoming a prominent advocate for the hostages. 

"I just hope that he's with other people from Israel, and if he has them, he's going to be okay," Aviva said. "He’s just the person that will make them feel that they’re together. That's what he did when I was there – he was 100% for me and the hostages that we were with."

 "If you get kidnapped, get kidnapped with Keith, because he was outstanding to everybody. He was strong for all of us. And I'm sure that he's keeping strong and keeping his hope to come out," she said. 

Aviva recounted their last moments together before they were separated ahead of her release, telling Fox News Digital, "When I left him, I told him to be the strongest – that he needs to be strong for me, and I'll be strong for him."

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY UNDER PRESSURE AMID RISING RESISTANCE, POPULARITY OF IRAN-BACKED TERROR GROUPS

Top security officials from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar have been pushing Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire and the return of hostages. 

Reports on Thursday suggested that negotiators are pushing for a 42-day cease-fire in which 34 of the at least 50 hostages still assessed to be alive, could be exchanged. 

Hamas is also believed to continue to hold at least 38 who were taken hostage and then killed while in captivity, along with at least seven who are believed to have been killed on Oct. 7, 2023 and then taken into Gaza. 

Though all the hostages are believed to have been held in deplorable conditions, the children, women – including the female IDF soldiers – the sick and the elderly have reportedly been front listed to be freed first in exchange for Hamas terrorists currently imprisoned. 

"I'm keeping my hope and holding on and just waiting – waiting to hug Keith, and waiting for all the families, to get their families back," Aviva said. "We need to get them back."

Aviva said she dreams of the moment that she gets to hug her husband again and watch their grandchildren "jump into his arms." 

"We’ll be the happiest people on Earth," she said. "All the hostages, I can't imagine them coming home. It'll be just the happiest moment for all of the families. We need it to happen."

Reports in recent weeks suggest there is an increased sense of optimism in bringing home the hostages, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged some caution when speaking with MSNBC Morning Joe on Thursday when he said, "We are encouraged because this should happen, and it should happen because Hamas is at a point where the cavalry it thought might come to the rescue isn’t coming to the rescue, [Hezbollah's] not coming to the rescue, [Iran's] not coming to the rescue."

"In the absence of that, I think the pressure is on Hamas to finally get to yes," he added. "But look, I think we also have to be very realistic.  We’ve had these Lucy and the football moments several times over the last months where we thought we were there, and the football gets pulled away.

"The real question is: Is Hamas capable of making a decision and getting to yes?  We’ve been fanning out with every possible partner on this to try to get the necessary pressure exerted on Hamas to say yes," Blinken added.  

Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down Sunday over the Red Sea in what appeared to be "friendly fire", the U.S. military said.

The pilots were found alive after they ejected from their aircraft, with one suffering minor injuries.

The incident demonstrates the pervasive dangers in the Red Sea corridor amid ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis, even as U.S. and European military coalitions patrol the area.

The U.S. military had conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels at the time, but the U.S. military’s Central Command did not elaborate on what their mission was.

The military said the aircraft shot down was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet assigned to the "Red Rippers" of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.

The F/A-18 shot down had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, according to Central Command. On Dec. 15, Central Command said the Truman had entered the Mideast, but did not specify that the carrier and its battle group were in the Red Sea.

"The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18," Central Command said in a statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The pope has contracted a cold and will skip his usual outdoor Sunday prayer, instead giving the blessing indoors just days ahead of his Christmas Eve and Day Masses, the Vatican said Saturday. 

Chilly weather and the pope’s busy schedule during Christmas week were cited as reasons for the 88-year-old giving the blessing from his residence at the chapel of the Vatican's Santa Marta quarters.

The pope usually addresses the public from the window of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking St. Peter’s Square on Sundays. 

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Pope Francis sounded congested on Saturday as he gave his annual Christmas greeting to Vatican bureaucrats. 

The octogenarian has suffered from bronchitis before, including last year when he was hospitalized, and he also missed a climate change meeting in Dubai last year because of the flu and lung inflammation. 

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The pope developed pleurisy in his 20s and was forced to have part of his lungs removed in his native Argentina. 

Christmas Eve also marks the beginning of the Vatican’s Holy Year in which around 32 million pilgrims are expected to head to Rome throughout 2025. 

The pope will open the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve and On Dec. 26, he will go to Rome’s main prison to inaugurate the start of the Holy Year there. 

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The Holy Year, also known as the Jubilee, is usually held every 25 years. 

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

The U.S. military confirmed it conducted airstrikes in Yemen, saying it targeted a missile storage site and a command-and-control center operated by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the successful strikes in a release Saturday, saying they were meant to "disrupt and degrade" Houthi operations.

"CENTCOM forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden," CENTCOM said in a news release.

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Footage from CENTCOM showed F/A-18's taking off. The agency said it also used assets from the Navy and the Air Force.

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"The strike reflects CENTCOM's ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners and international shipping," it said.

The attacks against shipping are ongoing, and Houthi militants have vowed to continue until Israel ends its campaign in Gaza.

The terrorist group has targeted more than 100 merchant vessels since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.

A packed bus collided with a truck and burst into flames early Saturday in Brazil, killing more than 30 people, the Fire Department said.

After removing all the victims from a major highway near the town of Teofilo Otoni in Minas Gerais, the state's Fire Department reported that of the 45 people on the bus, 38, including the bus driver, had been confirmed dead.

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The other passengers remained in critical condition after being transported to a local hospital.

The truck driver fled the scene, and three occupants of a car that collided with the truck and became trapped underneath survived the accident, said the fire department.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated on social media that the government was ready to provide whatever assistance was needed, and that the Federal Highway Policy was at the site.

"I deeply mourn and extend my prayers to the families of the more than 30 victims of the accident in Teofilo Otoni, Minas Gerais. I pray for the recovery of the survivors of this terrible tragedy," he posted on X.

A forensic investigation will be required to determine the accident's cause, as differing accounts were gathered from witness testimony, said the local Fire Department.

Initially, firefighters reported the bus had a tire blowout, causing the driver to lose control before colliding at around 4 a.m. local time, with an oncoming truck on the BR-116 federal highway, a major route connecting Brazil's densely populated southeast to the poorer northeast.

However, witnesses also reported that a granite block the truck was transporting came loose, fell on the road and caused the collision with the bus, the Fire Department said.

"Only the forensic investigation will confirm the true version," said the fire department in a statement.

The bus departed from Sao Paulo and was headed to the state of Bahia.

Pressure is building on the controversial U.N. agency UNRWA over its alleged and extensive ties with terror leaders that has propelled hatred for Israel and support for terror through its curricula. Even as 159 countries in the U.N. General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution affirming to "fully support" UNRWA, last week, Sweden announced on Friday that it has decided to end funding to UNRWA due to a ban placed on the agency by the Israeli government and will redirect Gaza aid to other organizations.

Yet, while the U.N. continues to show solidarity with UNRWA, two informed sources confirmed to Fox News Digital that in spite of the vocal solidarity, there is dissension among the ranks.

One U.N. source explained that "several agencies have had behind-the-scenes discussions" about who might "take over and run" UNRWA programming. "One of the main and most notable agencies doing so is the United Nations Development Programme," the source claimed.

"The UNDP has come forward and said that they can take over from UNRWA to advance peace," the source said. They noted that U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres "shot those requests down," leading to an "internal conflict." The source elaborated that recent events "show that there are elements of the U.N. that recognize the challenges and clear issues with UNRWA," but that "even as other agencies are ringing the alarm bells," their "offers are being shot down at the highest levels" of the U.N.

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Israel Hayom newspaper also reported that Guterres has passed over the UNDP’s offer to take on increased work in the Palestinian territories. The newsaper quoted "fundamental opposition" from the Secretary-General to the UNDP’s "willingness to take on significant areas of responsibility, such as fuel distribution, waste removal and rubble clearance." It also reported that "preparations are already underway among international aid organizations, led by UNDP, to expand their activities in the Strip."

Fox News Digital asked Guterres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, about Guterres’ position on the UNDP’s offer to take on UNRWA’s work and inquired about Guterres’ thoughts on recent reports of the agency’s leadership’s ties to terrorists and its difficulties raising funds after news arose that some UNRWA members had participated in the terror attacks of Oct. 7.

Dujarric told Fox News Digital that "many different U.N. agencies have a role to play, and are playing a role, in humanitarian and development support to the Palestinian people." He reiterated that, "as we’ve said many times before, no other agency in the U.N. system can replace UNRWA given the scope of its work, notable in health and education. All U.N. agencies, including UNDP, have the same position."

Dujarric explained that Guterres "will continue to do his utmost to work for an end to this conflict, the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas and other Palestinian groups in Gaza, and for full humanitarian access in Gaza. There are also needs to be a restoration of a political horizon for a two-state solution for the sake of Israelis and Palestinians."

Fox News Digital asked the UNDP whether it had proposed that it could take on UNRWA’s role and asked how seamless that transfer could be and whether a UNDP-led effort might create an atmosphere in which peace and a two-state solution could be reached.

A UNDP spokesperson said that the "UNDP does not propose, nor does it support, being an alternative to UNRWA. UNDP’s position on UNRWA’s irreplaceability is aligned with the U.N. Secretary General’s and is a matter of public record." 

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The spokesperson also sent a statement standing by Guterres’ statement that UNRWA is the "principal means" for supporting Palestinian refugees and that "there is no alternative to UNRWA." 

The "irreplaceability" of UNRWA has been questioned, including by senior fellow at the Tel Aviv Institute Hen Mazzig, who recently stated on X that only 13% of aid to the Palestinian people is distributed by UNRWA.

Fox News Digital asked UNRWA to confirm this figure. A spokesperson from the agency said that since October 2023, the agency "has provided over 6.8 million primary health care consultations," claiming it represented "60% of primary healthcare consultations currently provided in the Gaza Strip." The spokesperson also stated that UNRWA provides "50% of the food security response," and "assisted hundred of thousands of people with essential mental health and psychosocial support services," as well as providing "essential logistical and infrastructure support to the entire humanitarian system."

Fox News Digital asked the Israel Defense Forces about the role UNRWA plays in relation to other humanitarian groups coordinating aid in Gaza. A security official said the agency is a "weak player," compared with entities like World Food Program, World Central Kitchen, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), which "play a more central role." The official said that these agencies "have their own logistical chains and can work independently from UNRWA."

UNRWA’s fundraising ability has decreased since credible information emerged showing that members of UNRWA had infiltrated Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The U.S. had provided $121 million to UNRWA between October 2023 and January 2024, but then cut funding to the agency through March 2025.

The UNDP is unhindered by these issues and provides a variety of services in the region. A UNDP spokesperson told Fox News Digital that UNDP has funded about a third of its Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People’s $270 million Gaza Emergency Response and Early Recovery Programme.

The spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "as a lead development agency within the UN system, UNDP works closely with our sister humanitarian agencies to embed early recovery efforts – such as rehabilitating crucial infrastructure and cash-for work programs – into emergency responses."

"In contexts such as the occupied Palestinian territory, Lebanon, and Syria, we have carried out a variety of early recovery initiatives tailored to specific needs and conditions on the ground," the spokesperson continued." This has entailed "working with local partners to deliver a range of activities including debris removal from roads to facilitate access to critical services, working closely with local service providers and the private sector to restore essential services such as solid waste management, supporting the rehabilitation and expansion of water supply networks to increase access to clean water, and has implemented solar-powered energy systems. We also strengthen government capacities on emergency response and recovery planning and support vocational training programmes for women."

UN ACCUSED OF DOWNPLAYING HAMAS TERRORISTS’ USE OF GAZA HOSPITALS AS NEW REPORT IGNORES IMPORTANT DETAILS

Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of U.N. Watch, told Fox News Digital that aside from UNRWA, there "are several agencies on the ground who are doing significant work in distributing humanitarian aid." 

"Around the world, when there is a crisis of some kind," Neuer said that "you get a whole cluster of U.N. agencies," including the World Health Organization, World Food Programme, UNICEF … and UNDP, which combine forces to "distribute aid to millions of people." Neuer said that "the notion that is put forward that for some reason a tiny strip of land on the Gaza Strip is the only place in the world where those agencies cannot operate" is "absurd and false." 

UN Watch has raised the ire of UNRWA by beginning to release a 150-page dossier showing URNWA leaders meeting with representatives of terror groups. Though UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini referred to the reports as "disinformation," Neuer explained that UNRWA simply "cannot handle the truth." Neuer said that UN Watch assembled its dossier by screenshotting data and photographs that were "hidden in plain sight" on the internet and social media." He added that more of UN Watch’s dossier is set to emerge the coming week.

The U.S. was among nine nations to dissent from the General Assembly’s resolution in support of UNRWA. 

Ambassador Robert Wood, the alternative representative for special political affairs, explained the dissension on Dec. 11, both noting that while URNWA is a "critical lifeline," the "resolution on UNRWA operations also has serious flaws." Wood cited how the proposal fails "to create a path forward for restoring trust between Israel and UNRWA," and that the resolution "denigrates Israel’s actions in Gaza without addressing the central reason for them, namely Hamas’ unprovoked October 7 attack and the terrorist group’s deplorable behavior in the interim."

"More than 14 months into this conflict, some delegations here in New York cannot bring themselves to acknowledge — let alone condemn — Hamas’ role in instigating a conflict that has visited so much pain, suffering, and anguish on the people of Gaza," Wood wrote, adding that "we deeply regret that the drafters chose to try to score political points, rather than pursue a resolution which could have provided unanimous support to UNRWA, addressed credible allegations about the activities of some of its personnel, and ultimately bolsters UNRWA’s vital humanitarian mission."

While voting on UNRWA’s future, the General Assembly did note the issues with the agency, explaining that URNWA needed to implement the recommendations set by an independent reviewer and that there must be "immediate efforts" to address UNRWA’s "financial and operational crises." 

The General Assembly also emphasized that it "strongly warns against any attempts to dismantle or diminish the operations and mandate of the Agency," noting the humanitarian consequences that millions of Palestinians would face if its work were interrupted or suspended.

In an effort to assert the primacy of his organization despite snowballing evidence that its members have hindered efforts to create peace in the region, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini penned an op-ed imagining the possibly "dystopian" outcome of a decision to dismantle UNRWA. Supposing that a two-state solution hinges on the agency's continued operations, Lazzarini urged that "we still have a window of opportunity to avert a cataclysmic future where firepower and propaganda construct the global order." 
 

U.N. Watch's Neuer disagreed, noting "UNRWA is an arsonist masquerading as a firefighter," he said. "Only by ending this terror-infested agency with the pathological aim of perpetuating hatred, resentment and dependency, can Palestinians move forward to a future of hope and peace."

A projectile launched into Israel from Yemen overnight into Saturday struck Tel Aviv, resulting in mild injuries to 16 people, according to Israeli officials.

Israel's military said after sirens sounded in central Israel that the projectile landed in Tel Aviv’s southern Jaffa area following failed attempts to intercept.

"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in central Israel, one projectile launched from Yemen was identified and unsuccessful interception attempts were made," the military said on Telegram.

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Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have repeatedly launched missile attacks from Yemen against Israel since the war in Gaza began in October of last year, but the incident overnight represents a rare instance in which Israel failed to intercept.

Israel has retaliated by striking multiple targets in areas in Yemen controlled by the Houthis.

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"A short time ago, reports were received of a weapon falling in one of the settlements within the Tel Aviv district," Israeli police said Saturday.

On Thursday, the Israeli military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen, with shrapnel resulting in extensive damage to a school near Tel Aviv.