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In warning to Turkey, Israel hits strategic targets in Syria amid rising tensions
Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Syrian military airfields this week, in what officials confirmed to Fox News Digital was "intended to send a clear message to Turkey not to interfere with Israeli aerial operations in Syrian airspace."
The escalation marks a turning point in Jerusalem’s stance toward Ankara, as Turkey attempts to expand its military presence in Syria amid regional instability.
The Israeli Defense Forces struck strategic assets at both the Hama military airport and the T-4 airbase, including runways, fuel storage sites, radar systems and weapons caches. The strikes follow weeks of intelligence gathering by the Israeli air force, which tracked military assets in the targeted bases.
The airbases, which had been under the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, are now reportedly being eyed by Turkey for expanded use and the deployment of air defense systems.
Turkey has signaled growing ambitions in Syria. Reports from Middle East Eye indicate that Turkish forces have begun moves to take control of the T-4 base and are planning to install air defense systems there. Since the fall of Assad in December, Ankara has accelerated negotiations with Syria’s interim government over a potential defense pact.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry reacted sharply to the Israeli strikes, labeling Israel’s government as "racist and fundamentalist," accusing it of expansionist ambitions. "Israel’s attacks in Syria, without any provocation, are inconceivable and indicate a policy that thrives on conflict," a ministry spokesperson said. The statement further condemned Israel’s military operations as a threat to regional security.
Fox News Digital requests for comment to the Turkish embassy spokesman in Washington, D.C., were not returned.
Dr. Sinan Ciddi, a Turkey expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is attempting to capitalize on the regional vacuum left by Russia and Iran.
"Erdogan is trying to reignite Turkey’s influence in the region as a sort of neo-Ottoman power," said Ciddi. "He sees Iran’s proxies weakened, Russia overstretched, and is positioning Turkey to dominate the region — particularly through military footholds like the airbases."
Ciddi said Erdogan’s long game includes projecting power in Syria, currying favor with the new government in Damascus and convincing the U.S. to grant Turkey access to F-35 fighter jets in exchange for "managing" Syria.
"Erdogan wants to go to Trump and say, ‘I’m the big guy here. Leave Syria to me, just give me the F-35s,’" Ciddi said. "But Israel sees this as a direct threat. Bombing the T-4 runway was a clear message: you’re not welcome here."
The Turkish leader’s recent inflammatory rhetoric — including prayers for the destruction of Israel during a Ramadan service — has further alarmed Israeli and American observers.
During a recent webinar hosted by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman called for urgent diplomatic intervention.
"There ought to be some quiet discussions with Turkey about toning down the rhetoric about Israel — threats to destroy it, whether coming from the president or his son at rallies," said Edelman. "There needs to be some kind of effort to deconflict over Syrian airspace."
Edelman also warned that renewed F-35 sales to Turkey must come with conditions: "If Turkey is actually going to possess the F-35, there has to be some very clear understandings about where they can use it."
TRUMP EYES LIFTING SANCTIONS, POTENTIAL SALE OF PRIZED FIGHTER JET TO TURKEY
Alan Makovsky, JINSA Eastern Mediterranean Policy Project member said, "We can never assume statements like this are just rhetoric," adding, "Erdogan has alluded in the past to being able to ‘come suddenly one night’ — we have to take that seriously."
Inside Israel, officials are closely watching Turkey’s moves in Syria. Avner Golov, vice president of Mind Israel, emphasized that the current crisis reflects a deeper ideological threat.
"Iran is clearly the head of the radical camp, but Erdogan is trying to position himself as the second head — and he’s no less dangerous in terms of potential," he said. "He doesn’t use proxies the same way Iran does. He intervenes directly, including inside Israel through Palestinian citizens and political activism."
"Israel has diplomatic ties with Turkey, but Erdogan keeps blocking meaningful security cooperation in NATO" Golov added. "Now that Turkey is moving south into Syria, we [Israel] need to escalate the rules of engagement. We can’t allow Turkey to create a long-range air defense umbrella on our border."
Golov said the current administration needs to understand that Erdogan's ambitions go beyond Syria. "He wants to become a patron state, to control the skies, and to prevent Israeli operations by claiming we’re violating Syrian sovereignty. But it’s not about sovereignty — it’s about power and shaping the new Middle East in Muslim Brotherhood colors."
On the recent protests against the jailing of the mayor of Istanbul, Ciddi said, "We’ve seen a great challenge to Erdogan with these rising public protests — probably the biggest since the 2013 Gezi protests … jailing an opposition candidate before they even run is a clear sign of weakness. Erdogan doesn’t care about international criticism or economic fallout — all he cares about is maintaining his regime. That’s not strength, it’s desperation."
South Korean president removed from office four months after declaring martial law
South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Friday removed impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, four months after he declared martial law, sending the East Asian country into turmoil.
The court issued its verdict more than three months after the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach him.
SOUTH KOREAN PM HAN DUCK-SOO REINSTATED AS ACTING PRESIDENT AFTER IMPEACHMENT OVERTURNED
South Korea must hold a national election within two months to find a new president.
Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3 lasted only six hours before the liberal opposition-controlled legislature quickly voted it down.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Trump urged to review UN immunity, lax visa rules amid national security concerns
A 1947 agreement outlining obligations as host of the United Nations continues to give employees and their family members relatively unfettered access to the U.S.
At a time of increased national security fears and immigration enforcement by the Trump administration, experts are urging a re-examination of the host nation agreement with an eye to the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff and the limited vetting given to those with U.N. visas.
"The United States appears to have taken a relaxed view of the individuals entering the country associated with the U.N., either as employees or as representatives of various country missions. And yet we know that U.N. employees have had, and continue to have, close, direct relationships with terrorist organizations, like UNRWA and Hamas," Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and president of Human Rights Voices, told Fox News Digital.
UN WATCHDOG PROJECT CALLS ON DOGE CAUCUS TO ‘AUDIT’ THE INTERNATIONAL ORG
Bayefsky said there is "a disconnect between the welcome routine and the significant harm to American interests. Hosting the U.N. does not require the host country to facilitate or endure threats to its national security."
The federal government grants G visas to employees, spouses and children of international organizations, including the U.N., who reside in, or are visiting, the U.S. According to the State Department’s website, "if you are entitled to a G visa, under U.S. visa law, you must receive a G visa. The exceptions to this rule are extremely limited." The Department of State also explains that "Embassies and consulates generally do not require an interview for those applying for G-1 - 4 and NATO-1 - 6 visas, although a consular officer can request an interview."
Hugh Dugan, a senior advisor to 11 U.S. former ambassadors to the U.N., told Fox News Digital that it "appears to me that the issuance of the G visas for [U.N. employees] is a relatively rubber stamp exercise." While not requiring interviews of personnel has "become a matter of convenience, frankly, we should always be able to assess a threat to our country."’
Dugan, a former National Security Council special assistant to the president and senior director for international organization affairs, said nations like Russia and China are only allowed to travel a certain distance from U.N. headquarters. "We are mindful of our adversaries’ activities and presence here, but the door is open to participate in the U.N. and the host country agreement makes that possible so that no country would be barred because of a certain political atmosphere or issue that might be brewing between us and them."
Fox News Digital asked the State Department whether it requires interviews for staff from adversarial member states, including Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, North Korea, Iran and China, but received no response. A State Department spokesperson reiterated that consular officers "have full authority to require an in-person interview for any reason."
Peter Gallo, formerly an investigator with the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), told Fox News Digital that he is particularly concerned about the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff participating in activities related to their employment. Gallo explained that "U.S. legal system has come to accept that pretty much it’s a blanket coverage." He added that "immunity breeds impunity."
REPUBLICANS SEEK TO BLOCK THE REAPPOINTMENT OF UN OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF ANTISEMITISM
Gallo claimed that there is an epidemic of sexual offenses and misconduct among U.N. staff. He cited an incident in which a U.N. employee outside the U.S. sexually harassed "a young female in his department." Gallo said it took two years after receipt of the investigation report for an investigation to be completed, which resulted in the demotion of the offending employee. Gallo said the employee who was harassed, and her harasser remained in the same organization.
Gallo said that if employees take part in misconduct while based at U.N. headquarters, the U.S. government should be able to examine cases and determine whether staff should retain their G visas.
Dugan said that if U.N. personnel "knew that [immunity] could be lifted at any time by us… they might start behaving a lot differently."
In response to questions about whether U.N. staff have been accused of sexual misconduct in the U.S., or whether U.N. staff who engaged in misconduct have had their G visas revoked, a State Department spokesperson explained the department "generally does not provide" revocation statistics. They also said that "all visa applicants, no matter the visa type and where they are located, are continuously vetted. Security vetting runs from the time of each application, through adjudication of the visa, and afterwards during the validity period of every issued visa, to ensure the individual remains eligible to travel to the United States."
The spokesperson said officials of the U.N. "are expected to respect applicable laws of the United States, including criminal laws. Failure to do so may constitute an abuse of privileges of residence." They added that this "applies for those who hold diplomatic immunity for their positions as well."
Among staff who have raised internal alarm bells is U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, who traveled to the U.S. in 2024 to deliver a report before the Third Committee of the General Assembly. Albanese, whose antisemitism has been condemned widely by senior U.S. diplomats and the State Department, was allowed to tour multiple U.S. college campuses while in the U.S.
In addition to qualifying for "rubber stamp" G visas, staff of international organizations like the United Nations can qualify for green cards if they have spent half of at least seven years of employment inside the U.S., or have been in the U.S. for a combined total of 15 years prior to retirement.
Russia calls Trump threats to bomb Iran 'illegal and unacceptable'
Russia is pushing back against President Donald Trump's threats to bomb Iran, calling them "illegal and unacceptable."
Trump in recent days has increased his threats against Iran and warned that there could be direct conflict if the Islamic Republic doesn’t stop arming the Houthi terrorist group or halt its nuclear program. Russia, meanwhile, said Thursday that it’s committed to finding solutions to Iran’s nuclear program that respects its rights to peaceful nuclear energy, according to Reuters.
"The use of military force by Iran's opponents in the context of the settlement is illegal and unacceptable," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova was quoted by the news agency as saying.
"Threats from outside to bomb Iran's nuclear infrastructure facilities will inevitably lead to an irreversible global catastrophe. These threats are simply unacceptable," she reportedly added.
TRUMP THREATENS TO BOMB IRAN UNLESS THEY END NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM AND BEGIN TALKS ON NEW DEAL
Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer specializing in Russia’s war-fighting strategy and Putin’s thinking, told Fox News Digital on Thursday that "Russia’s statement is consistent with the diplomatic posture that it's trying to project of being Iran’s strategic partner."
"In reality, Russia and Iran are not natural allies. They share a very turbulent history and there’s plenty of distrust in the relationship. The Russians don’t trust Iranians to have a fully operational militarized nuclear capability," she continued. "But they would never admit it in public. At one point, during the Obama administration, Moscow was siding with Washington in terms of economic sanctions on Iran and complied with Washington’s request not to sell S-300s air defense missiles to Tehran.
"Putin is angling to serve as a broker between the Trump administration and the Iranian government on the nuclear issue," she also said.
Trump’s overtures via a letter to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, to jump-start talks on dismantling Tehran’s illicit nuclear weapons program, were met with rejection on Sunday.
TRUMP THREATENS IRAN OVER NUKES AS DNI GABBARD CLAIMS TEHRAN IS NOT BUILDING BOMBS
Trump told NBC the day before, "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing."
"But there's a chance that if they don't make a deal, that I will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago," he added.
Secondary "tariffs," or sanctions, would mean slapping financial penalties on any country that does business with Iran.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday, "We don’t avoid talks; it’s the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far," according to The Associated Press. He added, "They must prove that they can build trust."
Iran is enriching uranium to 60%, just shy of the 90% weapons-grade. Experts say it could have a nuclear weapon within weeks if it were to take the final steps to building one. Fox News Digital reported in late March that Iran’s regime has enriched enough uranium to manufacture six nuclear weapons, according to a U.N. atomic agency report.
Fox News’ Benjamin Weinthal, Caitlin McFall and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
World leaders react to Trump’s sweeping tariffs: ‘tumultuous times’ ahead
World leaders reacted to the sweeping tariffs President Donald Trump released this week impacting essentially every U.S. trading partner.
The White House has implemented a flat 10% tariff on apparently all imports, though some nations saw drastically higher taxes slapped on their U.S. exports – including Vietnam, which was issued a 46% tariff one day after it slashed its tariffs on U.S. imports.
However, no nation was handed a higher import tax than China, which Trump revealed will have an additional 34% blanket tariff on its exports to the U.S. on top of the 20% tariff the president implemented earlier this year. This brings the total tariffs on Chinese goods imported into the U.S. to 54% – just shy of the 60% Trump pledged on the campaign trail.
CANADA'S PM CARNEY VOWS TO ‘FIGHT’ TRUMP’S TARIFFS, OTHER WORLD LEADERS WEIGH IMPACT
"China firmly opposes this and will take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests," China's Commerce Ministry reportedly said in a statement. "There are no winners in trade wars, and there is no way out for protectionism."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun also warned that "Protectionism has no exit ramp" and urged Washington to "correct its wrong practices and resolve economic and trade differences with other countries — including China — through fair, respectful and reciprocal consultations."
The EU, which was hit with a blanket 20% tariff on top of the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum as well as car exports to the U.S., which are expected to severely impact European nations, pledged to strike back at Trump’s tariff war.
"I know that many of you feel let down by our oldest ally," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a video posted to X. "Uncertainty will spiral and trigger the rise of further protectionism. The consequences will be dire for millions of people around the globe."
The EU chief said the bloc was already finalizing countermeasures to Trump’s tariffs on steel and pledged to take similar actions to protect the pharmaceutical and auto industries "if negotiations fail."
"We must brace for the impact this will inevitably have. Europe has everything it needs to make it through this storm," von der Leyen added, noting the EU is the single largest market on the planet, which she said serves as Europe’s "safe harbor in tumultuous times."
"If you take on one of us, you take on all of us," she added. "Our unity is our strength."
SOME COUNTRIES TARGETED BY TRUMP TARIFFS SEEK NEGOTIATIONS, CHINA SAYS 'NO WINNERS IN TRADE WARS'
Leaders in the U.K. have repeatedly said they would not immediately respond to the blanket tariff – which coupled with the steel and auto tariffs, could have a significant impact on its economy – though London is taking steps to see which tariffs could be implemented that would have the least negative effect on its own businesses.
British Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds reportedly told members of Parliament on Thursday that the U.K. will "not hesitate to act" if an agreement with Washington to circumvent the tariff war cannot be met, reported Politico.
"We will seek the views of U.K. stakeholders over four weeks until 1st May 2025 on products that could potentially be included in any U.K. tariff response," Reynolds said in a statement. "This exercise will also give businesses the chance to have their say, and influence the design of any possible U.K. response."
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Trump’s tariffs will "fundamentally change the international trading system" and pledged to "fight" back through "countermeasures."
"We're in a situation where there's going to be an impact on the U.S. economy, which will build with time," he added. "In our judgment, it will be negative on the U.S. economy that will have an impact on us."
"In a crisis, it's important to come together," Carney said. "It's essential to act with purpose and with force, and that's what we will do."
TRUMP TOUTS RETURN OF THE 'AMERICAN DREAM' IN HISTORIC TARIFF ANNOUNCEMENT
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will "announce a comprehensive program" to address Trump’s tariffs but will not engage in a "tit-for-tat on tariffs."
Sheinbaum said she plans to "strengthen the economy under any circumstance."
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said, "We’re putting all options on the table in considering the most effective response."
"Japan is a country that is making the largest amount of investment to the United States," he reportedly told his Parliament. "We wonder if it makes sense for (Washington) to apply uniform tariffs to all countries. That is a point we’ve been making and will continue to do so.
"We need to consider what’s best for Japan’s national interest," he added, without detailing what specific steps Tokyo could take.
Though Australia was among the nations hit with some of the lowest tariffs issued by the White House on Wednesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called them "totally unwarranted."
"President Trump referred to reciprocal tariffs. A reciprocal tariff would be zero, not 10%," he said at a press event. "The administration's tariffs have no basis in logic, and they go against the basis of our two nation's partnership."
"This is not the act of a friend," Albanese said.
Albanese pointed out that Americans will pay the heaviest price for the tariffs and said therefore he will not put reciprocal tariffs back on the U.S.
"We will not join the race to the bottom," he added, but pledged to continue to fight to have the tariffs removed.
Rubio demands NATO pony up, dismisses 'hysteria' over US role under Trump
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said NATO nations must provide a "realistic pathway" to ramp up their defense spending to hit a 5% threshold – including the U.S.
"I understand there's domestic politics, after decades of building up vast social safety nets that maybe don't want to take away from that and invest more in national security," Rubio said while speaking at a NATO foreign ministers event in Brussels. "But the events of the last few years… full-scale ground war in the heart of Europe as a reminder that hard power is still necessary as a deterrent.
"We do want to leave here with an understanding that we are on a pathway, a realistic pathway to every single one of the members committee, and fulfilling a promise to reach up to 5% of spending," Rubio said, adding that "the United States will have to increase its percentage."
While the majority of the 32 NATO members currently spend 2% of their nation’s GDP per previous NATO commitments, eight nations – Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Spain – have yet to meet their defense spending pledges.
Only Poland spends over 4% of its GDP on defense, while four other nations spend over 3% – Estonia, the U.S., Latvia and Greece.
Despite the severe spending increases this will demand from all NATO nations, Rubio's push is unlikely to be met with serious opposition as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and other NATO allies, have increasingly called for more defense spending.
Washington in 2024 spent 3.38% of its GDP on defense, which equated to more than $967 billion, according to NATO figures released in July.
The U.S. closed out 2024 with a GDP of over $29.7 billion, which means it is on track to spend $1 trillion on defense in 2025 if it maintains the current expenditure rate of 3.38%.
RUBIO ARRIVES IN BRUSSELS FOR NATO TALKS AMID UNEASE OVER TRUMP’S AGENDA
Rubio did not detail what timeframe he expected to see nations increase their defense spending to hit the 5% threshold, though if the U.S. did it in 2025, that would mean allocating nearly $1.49 trillion for defense – a figure that is higher than the current total spent by the entire NATO alliance, which collectively spent $1.47 trillion in 2024.
"As we speak right now, the United States is as active in NATO as it has ever been," Rubio said. "Some of this hysteria and hyperbole that I see in the global media and some domestic media in the United States about NATO is unwarranted.
"The United States president [has] made clear. He supports NATO. We're going to remain in NATO," he reaffirmed.
Rubio said the only way NATO nations can truly deter aggressor nations like Russia and China is by collectively increasing each NATO nation's capabilities to contribute to the alliance’s collective defense.
"We understand that's a tradeoff," Rubio said. "We have to do it every single year in our country – I assure you that we also have domestic needs.
"But we've prioritized defense because of the role we've played in the world, and we want our partners to do the same," Rubio confirmed.
Some countries targeted by Trump tariffs seek negotiations, China says 'no winners in trade wars'
World leaders across the globe are reacting to President Donald Trump’s "Liberation Day" tariff announcements, with some expressing disappointment and others making threats. On Wednesday, the president announced a baseline tariff of 10% on imports, in addition to reciprocal tariffs based on what each nation imposes on U.S. goods.
Trump believes these tariffs will incentivize foreign investment in the U.S. and spur domestic job growth.
While several U.S. allies articulated their frustration with the tariffs, they also expressed a lack of interest in launching trade wars. Many called for negotiations with the U.S. for new trade agreements.
TREASURY SECRETARY BESSENT TELLS COUNTRIES NOT TO RETALIATE AFTER SWEEPING 'LIBERATION DAY' TARIFFS
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the tariffs a "major blow to the world economy." Von der Leyen said in a statement that there would be "countermeasures," though she did not specify what they would entail.
Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry said that "there are no winners in trade wars and tariff wars," according to the Associated Press (AP).
Additionally, according to Reuters, Beijing is also planning to take "countermeasures." Trump has taken an especially tough approach to China, which was already hit with a 20% tariff earlier this year. China will now face a 34% reciprocal tariff in addition to the 10% baseline imposed on all listed nations.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said the tariffs would have a "great impact" on U.S.-Japan relations and the global economy, according to the AP. He vowed that the Japanese government would work to "decisively protect people’s lives, jobs and industries."
Despite being subject to one of the lowest reciprocal tariffs at just 10%, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his country would negotiate with the Trump administration to remove the tariffs.
"We will not join a race to the bottom that leads to higher prices and slower growth," Albanese said, according to Reuters.
Canada and Mexico are exempt from the reciprocal tariffs for now, but they face a 25% tariff on goods, with Canada also being slapped with a 10% energy tariff. While Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed to "fight these tariffs with countermeasures," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her country would announce a "comprehensive program" on Thursday, according to Reuters.
When speaking to reporters, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not criticize Trump, rather he said that the U.S. president was acting on "his mandate." However, he also said that "nothing is off the table." The prime minister assured that his government is working to make "an economic prosperity deal" with the U.S
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that his country would preemptively lift all tariffs on U.S. goods. However, Trump still announced a 17% reciprocal tariff on Israel. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said his office was "analyzing the implications for the economy." Smotrich also said that he would meet with the Finance Ministry to discuss possible responses.
Burma earthquake death toll rises to 3,085, humanitarian crisis deepens
More than 3,000 people have now died from the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Burma last week, which destroyed thousands of buildings and sent the war-torn country into a deeper humanitarian crisis.
Burma’s military-led government announced that the death toll from Friday’s earthquake rose to 3,085, while 4,715 people were injured and another 341 are missing.
"With infrastructure compromised and patient numbers surging, access to health care has become nearly impossible in many of the worst-hit areas," according to the U.N. "Thousands of people are in urgent need of trauma care, surgical interventions and treatment for disease outbreaks."
The World Health Organization assessed so far that four hospitals and one health center had been completely destroyed, while another 32 hospitals and 18 health centers had been partially damaged.
VIDEO: CHAOS IN BANGKOK AS APARTMENT BUILDING COLLAPSES, SENDING PEOPLE RUNNING
The agency is now preparing $1 million of relief supplies, including body bags, and is warning of a rising risk of diseases such as cholera spreading in affected areas, according to Reuters.
"Cholera remains a particular concern for all of us," Elena Vuolo, the deputy head of WHO’s Burma office, told the news agency.
"I've heard that in the next day or two there are rains [expected]," added Titon Mitra, the Burma representative of the United Nations Development Program.
"If that hits, we've got people, lots of people now, in temporary shelters, makeshift camps out on the streets, and that's going to be a real problem," he reportedly added.
With many left homeless by the earthquake, and many others staying away from their homes over fears ongoing aftershocks will bring them down, workers in Burma’s capital of Naypyitaw labored in the 104-degree heat to set up big tents in open fields to provide some shelter.
VIDEO: WATER CASCADES DOWN SIDE OF BUILDING IN BANGKOK FOLLOWING EARTHQUAKE
More than 1,550 international rescuers were operating alongside locals on Thursday, according to a statement from the military. Rescue supplies and equipment have been sent by 17 countries.
Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has turned into a civil war.
The quake worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis, with more than 3 million people displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million in need even before it hit, according to the U.N.
In Bangkok, Thailand, where the quake brought down a skyscraper under construction, the search for survivors and bodies continued as Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said a possible sound of life was detected in the rubble. By mid-afternoon there on Thursday, more than 144 hours after the earthquake, nobody had been found.
Twenty-two people were killed and 35 injured in the city, mostly by the collapse of the unfinished building.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Rubio arrives in Brussels for NATO talks amid unease over Trump’s agenda
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker arrived in Brussels Thursday for talks that allies hope will shed light on the U.S.’ future plans in Europe.
Rubio’s arrival comes as European allies and Canada are concerned about President Donald Trump's readiness to draw closer to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who sees NATO as a threat. Recent White House comments and insults directed at NATO allies – as well as the military alliance itself – have raised alarm and confusion.
Matters have been made more uncertain by Trump's new tariffs targeting U.S. friends and foes alike. The day prior to Rubio’s arrival, Trump issued an executive order, establishing a minimum baseline tariff of 10% on all imports.
Since Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned last month that U.S. security priorities lie elsewhere — in Asia and on the U.S.'s own borders — Europeans have waited to learn how big a military drawdown in Europe could be and how fast it may happen.
TRUMP EFFECT FORCES GERMANY TO REPRIORITIZE DEFENSE AS NATION PLAYS CATCH-UP IN MILITARY SPENDING
In Europe and Canada, governments are working on "burden shifting" plans to take over more of the load, while trying to ensure that no security vacuum is created if U.S. troops and equipment are withdrawn from the continent.
These allies are keen to hear from Rubio what the Trump administration's intentions are and hope to secure some kind of roadmap that lays out what will happen next and when, so they can synchronize planning and use European forces to plug any gaps.
Newly confirmed U.S. ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said the alliance "will be stronger and more effective than ever before" under Trump’s leadership.
"I believe that a robust NATO can continue to serve as a bedrock of peace and prosperity," Whitaker said in a statement, adding: "NATO's vitality rests on every ally doing their fair share."
Whitaker affirmed the U.S. commitment to NATO's collective security guarantee, which says that an attack on any ally must be considered an attack on them all, but that his brief would also be to encourage Europe to lead on "peace, security, and the rebuilding of Ukraine."
Whitaker also said that allies should demonstrate that NATO takes threats from China seriously.
Hungary says it is withdrawing from International Criminal Court as Israeli PM Netanyahu visits country
Hungary is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC), a move that comes shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the country on Thursday for a visit with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Netanyahu, who is wanted by the ICC on allegations of war crimes in Gaza, and his wife were greeted on the tarmac by an honor guard and Hungarian Minister of Defense Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and Israeli Ambassador to Hungary Maya Kadosh.
He is expected to be in Hungary for four days.
Hungary – a founding member of the ICC – is obligated to arrest anyone wanted by the court and turn them over, but Orban has described the warrant for Netanyahu as "brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable."
WATCH: ISRAELI PM NETANYAHU PUSHES BACK ON ICC CHARGES
Orban's Chief of Staff Gergely Gulyas told state media that Hungary would launch its withdrawal process later in the day on Thursday.
The withdrawal doesn't come as a surprise as Orban questioned the country's involvement in the ICC in February following President Donald Trump's decision to impose sanctions on the court's prosecutor, Karim Khan.
"It's time for Hungary to review what we're doing in an international organization that is under U.S. sanctions," Orban said on X in February.
TRUMP UNVEILS SANCTIONS AGAINST INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT FOR NETANYAHU ARREST WARRANT
Hungary's parliament will likely approve the bill to begin the year-long withdrawal process from the ICC since it is controlled by Orban's Fidesz Party, according to Reuters.
Orban has strongly supported Netanyahu over the years and, in the past, has been quick to block EU statements or actions criticizing Israel.
Israel has rejected the ICC's accusations, which come after the Jewish State launched a war against Hamas following the terrorist group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel that left 1,200 dead and more than 250 taken as hostages.
When the court issued the warrant for Netanyahu and his former defense chief, Yoav Gallant, it said there was reason to believe both men participated in crimes including murder, persecution and starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza.
According to the Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians during its attack on Gaza.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Canada's PM Carney vows to ‘fight’ Trump’s tariffs, other world leaders weigh impact
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday evening vowed to "fight" the new round of tariffs announced by President Donald Trump, and said he would turn to other international partners to get through the rocky times ahead.
"President Trump has just announced a series of measures that are going to fundamentally change the international trading system," Carney told reporters following Trump’s Rose Garden announcement. "We're in a situation where there's going to be an impact on the U.S. economy, which will build with time.
"In our judgment, it will be negative on the U.S. economy that will have an impact on us," he added, noting millions of Canadians will be impacted.
WHICH COUNTRIES IMPOSE THE HIGHEST TARIFFS ON THE US?
While Trump did not issue any additional tariffs against Canada following the 25% tariffs already in place on all Canadian imports, the 10% tariff on its energy exports and the blanket tariff on all aluminum and steel, he did announce a 25% tariff on all foreign vehicle imports.
He also pointed out that Trump said there could be future targeted tariffs against pharmaceutical companies, lumber and semiconductors — tariffs that will have wide affect on U.S. trading partners beyond Canada and Mexico, but across Europe and Asia.
"In a crisis, it's important to come together," Carney said. "It's essential to act with purpose and with force, and that's what we will do."
Before the tariff announcement, Canadian Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said at an election campaign event on Wednesday that he supports "targeted, reciprocal" tariffs on American goods — and if his party wins the general election on April 28 and he becomes prime minister, he would like to sit down with President Donald Trump and create a new trade deal, replacing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which the president signed in 2020.
Poilievre also said that Canada must maintain control of its border and freshwater and protect both its automotive industry and supply-managed farm sectors.
David Adams, president and CEO of Global Automakers of Canada — a national trade association representing the Canadian interests of 16 automakers, including BMW Canada, Inc. and Nissan Canada Inc. — said in a statement, "Tariffs are taxes that hurt consumers by increasing costs, driving up inflation, and unfairly impacting workers on both sides of the border."
"Governments should look to long-term solutions to remove these tariffs, prioritizing the elimination of regulatory barriers to industry competitiveness and providing automakers with flexibilities to respond in these uncertain times."
Reactions from European Union leaders began to emerge following Trump’s announcement that he will hit the EU with 20% tariffs on all imported goods, with disappointment, concern and commitments to continue negotiations with the U.S.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, generally seen as a Trump ally, said Trump's tariffs were "wrong" and warned they would not only harm American and European pocketbooks, but aid Western adversaries.
"We will do everything we can to work towards an agreement with the United States, with the goal of avoiding a trade war that would inevitably weaken the West in favor of other global players," Meloni said in a statement on Facebook.
"In any case, as always, we will act in the interest of Italy and its economy, also engaging with other European partners," she added.
Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister, Simon Harris, said he "deeply regret[s]" the new tariffs but said he is committed to working with Washington to end this tariff war.
"I must be honest tonight that a 20% blanket tariff on goods from all EU countries could have a significant effect on Irish investment and the wider economy," he said, noting the effects would "likely be felt for some time."
Chairman of the European Parliament's International Trade Committee Bernd Lange called for a united response from countries targeted by Trump.
"While President Trump might call today 'Liberation Day,' from an ordinary citizen's point of view this is 'Inflation Day,' he said, reported Reuters. "Because of this decision, U.S. consumers will be forced to carry the heaviest burden in a trade war."
Lange said the EU will respond through "legal, legitimate, proportionate and decisive" measures.
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter said her government would work to figure out the next steps.
The U.K., along with the president of Mexico ahead of the announcement, said they would continue to work with the U.S. and would not rush to enforce reciprocal tariffs.
Similarly, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that while Trump's decision was "not the act of a friend," his country would not impose reciprocal tariffs, reported Reuters.
He reportedly condemned the U.S. tariffs as totally unwarranted and said Australia will continue to negotiate to have the tariffs lifted.
Which countries impose the highest tariffs on the US?
President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on U.S. trading partners throughout the world Wednesday, saying the U.S. would add a 10% minimum baseline tax on all products coming in.
The Trump administration has identified what it has called the "Dirty 15" as the 15 nations with the largest trade deficit with the U.S., meaning the trade partnerships by which Washington imports more from countries than those nations import from the U.S.
But the White House has also flagged what it describes as other "unfair" trading practices, chiefly implemented through tariffs on U.S. goods.
WHAT IS TRUMP'S NEW LIBERATION DAY AND WHAT TO EXPECT APRIL 2?
Washington and Beijing have been in a trade war since the first Trump administration when the first-term president imposed 25% tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods starting in April 2018.
Beijing responded the next day by slapping reciprocal tariffs on 106 U.S. products worth $50 billion, mostly targeting U.S. agricultural products worth some $16.5 billion.
The tariff war would continue with repeated back-and-forth escalating tariffs before some tariff relief was agreed upon beginning in January 2020.
By January 2021, the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC) found that the U.S. had lost nearly a quarter of a million jobs.
The Biden administration and China largely maintained the status quo established during Trump’s initial trade war.
But Trump threatened to hit Beijing with 60% tariffs on the campaign trail and, by February 2025, just weeks after his inauguration, he slapped China with a blanket 20% tariff on all Chinese imports.
Beijing again responded with up to 15% tariffs on more than $33 billion in U.S. agricultural products, including U.S.-grown chicken, wheat, corn and cotton.
China’s trade deficit with the U.S. is $295.4 billion.
TEXAS WILL BE AMONG STATES HARDEST HIT IN TRADE WAR, EU AMBASSADOR WARNS
The European Union, which is no stranger to Trump’s tariff war, is bracing for a much bigger battle this time around after enduring metal trade spats during his first term.
Trump has already announced a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports, which directly hits the European Union, the U.S.’s largest trading partner, along with a 25% tariff on imported cars, which will affect nations like Germany.
The EU said it could impose retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. of up to $28 billion.
The U.S. had a trade deficit of $235.6 billion with the European Union in 2024, which Trump has called "an atrocity."
But it is not only the difference in trade agreements that has irked the president.
Last month, the White House said specific levies charged by various trading partners are making it "virtually impossible" for U.S. products to be exported, including a 50% tax on American dairy products sold by EU nations.
But expert Andrew Hale, a senior policy analyst in trade policy with the Heritage Foundation, explained that the dairy industry in particular has massive barriers stopping Europe from being able to lower prices to match American products.
"They have a very, very protected agricultural market," Hale said, highlighting Europe’s strict husbandry practices. "Europeans would not be able to compete."
Hale explained that norms like overcrowding and poor conditions frequently found in the U.S.’s poultry, dairy and pork industries in mass farming are barred in Europe.
Animal spacing regulations and bans related to hormone injections have required a completely different type of farming that favors quality treatment of the animals versus mass production, which makes European meats and dairy products more expensive than American products and makes it unlikely that the EU drops this tax.
The White House has also taken aim at Canada, which is expected to see more tariffs fired at it Wednesday and said it has a 300% tariff on American butter and cheese.
Hale explained that while this is technically true, it is a tariff rate-quota that was negotiated during the first Trump administration under the revised NAFTA agreement, which became the United States Mexico Canada (USMCA), and one which has never been implemented.
The massive tariff would only be used if U.S. exports exceed negotiated tariff rate quotas. Otherwise, daily sales to Canada face no tariffs under the USMCA.
Canada and the U.S. in recent weeks have entered into a tariff war after Trump announced a blanket 25% tariff on 25% on Canadian goods and 10% on its energy.
Ottawa, in return, imposed 25% reciprocal tariffs on $30 billion in U.S. goods, mostly targeting the agriculture sector.
It has threatened to hit the U.S. with tariffs on $95 billion in U.S. imports if Trump imposes more taxes on the country's northern neighbor.
"Everyone needs to do what Israel has just done, bring down zero tariffs against the U.S. And then we can have absolute free trade," Hale said. "That's fair, and we can all have market access.
"When you have stupid tariffs, like tariffing stuff you don't grow and make, that's just basically being unfair."
Leading Canadian conservative says Ottawa should remove all tariffs as 'Liberation Day' arrives
OTTAWA - As Canadians brace themselves for President Donald Trump’s "Liberation Day" of reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday, one political leader in Canada believes it could spark the start of a new era of Canada-U.S. relations free of cross-border taxes.
Maxime Bernier, who served as foreign affairs minister in former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government and now heads the right-wing People’s Party of Canada (PPC), told Fox News Digital in an interview from Halifax that it is "absolutely" the time for Canada to remove all tariffs against the U.S.
He said the 25% duties the Canadian government, under then-Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, imposed on the U.S. in early February to counter Trump’s 25% tariffs against Canada "won’t hurt the Americans – it is hurting Canadians."
New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement following his March 28 call with the president – the first contact between both leaders since Carney was elected Liberal leader by his party nearly three weeks before – that Canada would implement retaliatory tariffs in response to Wednesday's U.S. "trade actions."
TRUMP'S 11TH WEEK IN OFFICE SET TO FOCUS ON TARIFFS AS PRESIDENT TOUTS 'LIBERATION DAY'
The PPC leader said that Trump should be told that "the real reciprocal response" to tariffs is "zero on our side, zero on your side."
Bernier said that instead, Carney and his main rival, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, are being "fake patriots using a dollar-for-dollar trade war against Trump" and telling Canadians: "That’s the best thing to do."
"We cannot impose counter-tariffs," said Bernier, who also served as industry minister in the Harper government.
"The Americans are 10 times bigger than us. We won’t win a trade war," he said, underscoring that retaliation will lead to a recession in Canada.
Former Canadian Conservative politician Tony Clement, who served alongside Bernier in Harper’s Cabinet, told Fox News Digital that "from an economic point of view," removing Canadian tariffs "makes a lot of sense" and "may come to that at some point, but the public isn’t there right now."
"From a point of view of the emotional wounds of Canadians created by Trump and his annexation talk and tariffs, I’m not sure that a political voice would survive if it went down that public-policy route," said Clement, a former Canadian industry minister in the Harper government.
"The mood of the people is outrage. I’ve never seen people in Canada this incandescently mad at the United States," he said, who is campaigning in the Toronto area for Poilievre's Conservative Party ahead of the April 28 general election. "There is complete distrust of whatever Trump says because it can change within 24 hours."
He said that both Poilievre and Carney have highlighted the importance of removing "the specter of tariffs for a long period of time – if you can trust Trump to be a bona fide negotiator."
Eliminating Canadian tariffs, without a quid pro quo from Trump, could "show weakness to a bully," added Clement, who, prior to entering federal politics in 2006, served as a Cabinet minister in former Ontario Premier Mike Harris’ Progressive Conservative government.
MARK CARNEY WINS LIBERAL PARTY NOMINATION TO REPLACE TRUDEAU AS CANADA'S NEXT PM
In the statement released following his recent conversation with Trump, Carney said that both leaders "agreed to begin comprehensive negotiations about a new economic and security relationship immediately following the election."
Conservative strategist Yaroslav Baran, who served as communications chief for Harper’s successful Conservative 2004 leadership campaign, and director of war room communications for the Harper-led Tories during the 2004, 2006 and 2008 federal election campaigns, told Fox News Digital that under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), "trade in goods and services ought to be tariff-free" between Canada and the U.S., excluding carveouts on the Canadian side for dairy, eggs, poultry and softwood lumber.
However, Baran added that he "can’t see the removal of all Canadian tariffs on U.S. products as long as the U.S. has tariffs on Canadian products."
Bernier acknowledged that while Trump’s tariffs will hurt Canadian exporters to the U.S., "the solution is to have a more productive economy with real free-market reforms" in Canada through such measures as lowering corporate taxes, promoting internal trade and fostering growth in the country’s oil and gas industry, all of which are featured in the PPC’s election platform that includes the establishment of a "Department of Government Downsizing" to abolish "ideologically motivated programs that promote wokeism," not unlike the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.
The PPC leader also said that Canada should be willing to "put everything on the table" under the USMCA "right now" and before the trilateral trade deal is scheduled for a joint review next year.
According to Bernier, that should include ending the "cartel" of supply management that sets quotas and prices, and protects Canada’s dairy, poultry and eggs sectors from foreign competition, which he described as "a communist system" that finds Canadians paying twice the price of those agricultural products than Americans do in the U.S., and which also imposes duties – ranging from 150% to 300% -- on U.S. imports of the same products beyond limits agreed to but yet to be reached under the USMCA.
During the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2018 that led to the USMCA, the first Trump administration sought to have Canada’s supply management system eliminated.
Canada stares down consequences of Trump tariff war: Job losses, grocery price hikes, possible recession
Canada is bracing for the fallout of President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war, with economists warning of spiking grocery prices, major job losses and even a potential recession if threatened U.S. tariffs take effect.
The United States is Canada’s largest trading partner, accounting for nearly two-thirds of Canadian imports and receiving over 70% of its exports. But under Trump’s new "liberation day" tariffs – 25% on Canadian goods and 10% on energy – Ottawa now faces an economic gut punch that could ripple across key provinces, industries and its national election campaign.
Trump has repeatedly blasted what he calls "unfair" trade practices, citing Canada’s trade imbalance with the U.S. to justify the sweeping tariffs.
"This is the beginning of liberation day in America," Trump said last week. "We’re going to charge countries for doing business in our country and taking our jobs, taking our wealth, taking a lot of things that they’ve been taking over the years. They’ve taken so much out of our country, friend and foe. And, frankly, friend has been oftentimes much worse than foe."
TRUMP'S 11TH WEEK IN OFFICE SET TO FOCUS ON TARIFFS AS PRESIDENT TOUTS 'LIBERATION DAY'
Increased tariffs could mean that Americans will see higher price tags on everything ranging from fertilizer and oil, vehicles and machinery, to plastic and wood products, which, theoretically, would deter consumers from purchasing those products and result in a loss for Canada’s economy.
Likewise, Canada in mid-March implemented reciprocal tariffs on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods, which means Canadians will not only feel losses on a macro scale but also in an immediate sense as prices at the grocery store have spiked on things like leafy greens, citrus, orange juice, beef, pork and fish.
Ottawa has yet to announce any tariffs on U.S. imported vehicles due to reported concerns over how it could further hinder Canada’s economy. Though there are some $95 billion worth of U.S. goods that it is reportedly considering putting tariffs on, depending on Trump’s April 2 announcements, according to Canadian outlet Financial Post.
"They're in the midst of a general election campaign," Andrew Hale, a senior policy analyst in trade policy with the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital. "I think it's very difficult for them to negotiate and put these measures on during an election campaign.
"Everything they do and say now carries electoral weight," he added, noting that Canadian politicians will need to strike a careful balance: tough enough on Trump to appeal to voters but measured enough to leave room for future negotiations on tariffs.
"If they were to put on reciprocal tariffs, it would damage the Canadian standard of living and have an impact – as all this already is having an impact – in Canada," Hale said, noting that auto tariffs not only affect direct car sales but all businesses that rely on vehicles, creating a trickle-down effect.
CANADIANS CLAIM THEY ARE CANCELING TRIPS TO US FOR REMAINDER OF TRUMP TERM
While Trump has argued that his tariffs protect U.S. manufacturing – especially the auto sector – the fallout could be far more severe for Canada. Immigration Minister Marc Miller has warned that up to 1 million Canadian jobs are at risk.
"Most Canadians live within 100 miles of the U.S.-Canadian border, and so they obviously will be heavily impacted," said Hale. "Most Americans don't."
Hale noted that while the tariffs will affect the entire U.S., the hardest-hit areas will be industries closely tied to Canadian imports, such as agriculture. The U.S., for instance, sources 90% of its potash fertilizer from Canada.
"This will have a disproportionate impact on border states," Hale said, but he added that the economic strain on Canadian regions like Ontario will be far greater.
Canadian leaders have already voiced concern that as many as 160,000 jobs could be lost in Quebec, along with another 500,000 jobs in Ontario, depending on how long the tariff dispute lasts.
Both Quebec and Ontario are two of the provinces expected to be among those hardest hit in Canada as they rely heavily on their steel and aluminum and lumber and forestry sectors for exports.
Canada could face a recession this year if it can’t rein in Trump’s tariff offensive, Oxford Economists first warned in a report last November.
Previous tariff wars between trading partners during the first Trump administration resulted in billions of dollars of losses for Americans and their foreign counterparts.
TRUMP HOLDS 'EXTREMELY PRODUCTIVE CALL' WITH CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: 'WE AGREE ON MANY THINGS'
But Trump is banking on the U.S. being less severely affected than nations like Canada.
The full impact of the tariff war with Canada remains uncertain as Washington has also imposed steep tariffs on the European Union, China and Mexico. Trump has pledged to target the "Dirty 15," which are countries he accuses of contributing most to the U.S. trade deficit.
Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam are expected to be among those next targeted in Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement, which he has dubbed "liberation day."
Details on what Trump’s next steps in his tariff war with Canada and dozens of other nations remain unknown ahead of the April 2 deadline, which has created a sense of uncertainty, Hale said.
"Last week's Bureau of Economic Analysis Reports signaled a continued high core personal consumption expenditure PC inflation at 2.8%. So inflation, one could argue, is not coming down, and certainly price levels continue to rise," he said. "Consumer spending has slowed sharply in both Canada and the United States."
"Businesses want certainty. They can't make future investment decisions in this climate," he added, noting that while a recession could be on the horizon in Canada, there are too many variables to make a prediction on the U.S. at this time.
"What I do know is that businesses and banks, people who are investing in projects, want to be able to plan," Hale said. "Hopefully, we'll have a clear idea [on Tuesday] where this is all going to land, and then we can work with it."
Israeli military operation in Gaza expanding to seize 'large areas': 'Expanding to crush and clean the area'
Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip is expanding to "crush" the area of Hamas terrorists and seize "large areas," Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday.
Katz said in a statement that the military operation was "expanding to crush and clean the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure and seizing large areas that will be added to the security zones of the State of Israel."
Israel's security perimeter, which runs along the border with Israel in northern and eastern Gaza, has been used for decades as a way to protect its citizens residing near the territory.
It is unclear which areas of Gaza will be seized in the expanded operation, which Katz says includes the "extensive evacuation" of people from areas where fighting is happening.
ISRAELI FORCES ORDER EVACUATION FOR MOST OF RAFAH AHEAD OF ATTACK ON THE AREA
The minister called on Gaza's population to "expel Hamas and return all hostages." The terror group still has 59 hostages, including 24 who are believed to still be alive. Most of the other captives were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
"This is the only way to end the war," Katz said.
The Hostage Families Forum, which represents most of the hostages’ families, said it was "horrified to wake up this morning to the Defense Minister's announcement about expanding military operations in Gaza."
The Israeli government "has an obligation to free all 59 hostages from Hamas captivity — to pursue every possible channel to advance a deal for their release," the group said, emphasizing that every passing day puts the captives' lives at increased risk.
"Their lives hang in the balance as more and more disturbing details continue to emerge about the horrific conditions they’re being held in — chained, abused, and in desperate need of medical attention," the group said.
"Our highest priority must be an immediate deal to bring ALL hostages back home — the living for rehabilitation and those killed for proper burial — and end this war," it added.
The forum also called on the Trump administration and other mediators to "continue exerting pressure on Hamas for the immediate release of our loved ones."
"Our highest priority must be an immediate deal to bring ALL hostages back home—the living for rehabilitation and those killed for proper burial—and end this war," the group said.
Israel continued to attack the Gaza Strip, including with overnight airstrikes that killed 17 people in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to hospital officials.
NETANYAHU ACCUSES ISRAELI POLICE OF TRYING TO 'TOPPLE' HIS GOVERNMENT
Officials at the Nasser Hospital said the bodies of 12 people killed in an overnight airstrike were brought to the hospital, including five women — one of whom was pregnant — and two children. Officials at the Gaza European Hospital said five bodies of people killed in two separate airstrikes were taken to the hospital.
The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 others.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, including hundreds killed in airstrikes since a ceasefire ended about two weeks ago, according to the Hamas-run government's Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and terrorists. Israel claims, without offering evidence, that it has killed roughly 20,000 terrorists in the war.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Putin conscripts 160K men as Russia eyes Ukraine offensive
Russia has initiated its largest military draft in 14 years as reports indicate Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing a spring assault on Ukraine despite ongoing peace negotiations to end the three-year war.
Putin has called up 160,000 men as part of the country’s bi-annual conscription drive as Russia seeks to beef up its military ranks.
According to the legislation, citizens aged 18 to 30 will be called up for mandatory military service through June 15. The spring draft marks the largest conscription campaign since spring 2011, when 200,000 men were called up for service. Last year, 150,000 men were called, following 134,500 in 2022.
EMMANUEL MACRON CALLS 'EMERGENCY MEETING' FOR EUROPEAN LEADERS TO DISCUSS TRUMP: REPORT
The Kremlin and Defense Ministry insist the latest conscripts are not being sent into combat and that the draft is unrelated to the war in Ukraine. Russian authorities say troops deployed to Ukraine only include volunteers who signed contracts with the military.
Some draftees, however, fought and were taken prisoners when the Ukrainian military launched an incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August.
Putin said late last year that Russia should increase the overall size of its military to almost 2.39 million and its number of active servicemen to 1.5 million.
It comes as a report suggests the Kremlin is preparing a six- to nine-month offensive across the Ukrainian front, potentially stretching over 1,000 kilometers, according to The New Voice of Ukraine. Potential targets include Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhya oblasts, as well as the Kursk Oblast, where they’ve seen recent success.
The offensive is also aimed at maximizing pressure on Ukraine and strengthening the Kremlin’s negotiating position in ceasefire talks, Ukrainian government and military analysts said.
Meanwhile, U.S.-led talks attempting to broker a ceasefire deal appear to have stalled. The U.S. has struggled in its efforts to secure an immediate 30-day ceasefire, despite Moscow saying it agreed with a truce "in principle."
TRUMP SAYS INTEL PAUSE ON UKRAINE HAS BEEN ‘JUST ABOUT’ LIFTED; SAYS TARIFFS WILL MAKE AMERICA RICH
Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer who specializes in Russia’s war-fighting strategy and Putin’s thinking, told Fox News Digital that Putin’s goal with his conscription drive is to prolong the fighting.
"There’s no ceasefire and no peace plan between Russia and Ukraine to be had," said Koffler, the author of a best-selling book "Putin’s Playbook." "What President Trump seeks is regretfully, unachievable. Putin's goal is to keep fighting, in order to compel Ukraine to capitulate."
Trump is trying to secure a peace and rare earth minerals deal, while on Sunday the president said he did not think Putin was going to go back on his word for a partial ceasefire.
Koffler, meanwhile, said the latest conscription numbers are intended to ensure that the correlation of forces on the battlefield and in reserves, continues to favor Russia.
"Now that Germany and France are considering to deploy reassurance forces into Ukraine, Putin is factoring in those numbers, so he is increasing his force's posture, to deter such a deployment or failing to prevent it by force."
"Putin has prepared Russia for a long, protracted conflict, in which he wants the Russian forces to be ready to fight till the last Ukrainian and the last missile in the NATO arsenal," Koffler said.
She said Putin is also considering the possibility of having a direct kinetic war with NATO, in the event that NATO decides to deploy forces into the theater in Ukraine.
"So, he intends for these mobilization numbers as a deterrence value and battlefield utility, if it comes to that."
Fox News’ Rachel Wolf and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Reporter's Notebook: Aftershock from a political 'earthquake' as Le Pen barred from presidential run in 2027
Aftershocks are still being felt in France from what one political analyst told Fox News was a "political earthquake" there this week. Popular right-wing politician Marine Le Pen was convicted of embezzlement by a French court and barred from running for office for five years.
Speaking to her followers on Tuesday, Le Pen claimed that "the system" had used a "nuclear bomb" to thwart her attempts to become French president.
Le Pen and her National Rally party have been hard on immigration, crime and other hot-button issues. They now have the most seats in the French parliament. She got 11 million votes when she ran (and lost) against Emmanuel Macron last time. Current polls had her winning the top job in a vote set for 2027. For now, she’s blocked. She says she’ll appeal.
"We won’t give in," she declared today.
All of this, according to Le Pen supporters and many others, is due to a left-leaning court system taking away a mandate from the people.
Le Pen’s young party associate and possible replacement presidential candidate, Jordan Bardella, spoke Tuesday on the radio of a "tyranny of judges…everything had been done to keep us from power."
One of the French prosecutors in the case, Remy Heitz, defended the ruling Tuesday, saying "this is not a political decision but a legal one."
Le Pen and her party colleagues were found guilty of misusing European Union money to fund her French party activities. The conviction also carries with it a fine and a period of house arrest.
The hitch is, the odds are against Le Pen winning the appeal and it would take time.
"I’m not too optimistic about the appeal," French political analyst Christian Malard told Fox News, "and if it doesn’t work in the way she would be expecting, politically it would mean she’s ‘dead.'"
Le Pen is a well-known champion of right-wing causes around the world and there was reaction internationally as well.
Last night at a press conference in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump noted, "That’s a very big deal." Adding that questions about the courts’ role in politics "…sounds like this country, it sounds very much like this country."
Protests are being called for this weekend by the National Rally to channel what is thought to be widespread upset about Le Pen being at least temporarily yanked from the political stage.
As analyst Malard noted, "Disenfranchised is the word… we will see if there is reaction in the street."
Or we will see if Le Pen just bides her time. Even if her appeal fails, she’ll be able to run for office again when she’s 61. Young enough, in many countries, to still go for the leadership role!
Netanyahu accuses Israeli police of trying to 'topple' his government
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Israeli police of trying to "topple" his government over what he believes is a "political witch hunt." In a video statement released on Monday, Netanyahu claimed the police had no evidence against the two aides who were arrested.
Netanyahu was summoned on Monday to testify as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged financial ties between his office and Qatar. The prime minister claimed that he was questioned for an hour before he demanded to see evidence. He said there was nothing.
NETANYAHU SEEKS TO FIRE TOP SECURITY OFFICIAL AMID INTERNAL POWER STRUGGLE
Eli Feldstein and Yonatan Urich, the aides Netanyahu named in the video, were allegedly arrested on Monday in connection with the investigation. According to reports, Feldstein – a former member of Netanyahu’s team – is suspected of passing messages to journalists on behalf of Qatar while working in the prime minister’s office.
The messages Feldstein is accused of sending to the media allegedly pertained to Qatar’s role in negotiating the return of Israeli hostages, among other things, Israel HaYom reported.
However, the case remains under a gag order, so charges against Feldstein and Urich have not been officially released. The Washington Post reported, citing Israeli media, that Urich and Feldstein are accused of contact with a foreign agent, bribery and fraud.
NETANYAHU TO TESTIFY IN CORRUPTION TRIAL AMID MULTIPLE CONFLICTS
The Jerusalem Post confirmed on Tuesday that its editor-in-chief, Zivka Klein, was questioned by police in connection with the Qatar probe. Klein has previously denied having a connection with Feldstein after an Israeli outlet reported that the former Netanyahu aide arranged a trip to Qatar for the journalist.
Netanyahu says the probe, often referred to as "Qatargate," is intended to stop him from firing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who heads the Israeli equivalent of the FBI.
Last month, Netanyahu announced that he would seek to oust Bar over alleged "ongoing distrust." However, some suspect that it is related to the Shin Bet’s assessment of Oct. 7, which "pointed to a policy led by the government, and the person who has headed it, for years, with emphasis on the year preceding the massacre," the Times of Israel reported.
Bar slammed Netanyahu’s "expectation of a duty of personal loyalty, the purpose of which contradicts the public interest, is a fundamentally illegitimate expectation," according to the Times of Israel.
Israel's High Court froze Bar’s removal, which was set for April 8, but allowed Netanyahu to interview potential replacements. Netanyahu’s office announced on Monday that he had tapped a former Israeli Navy commander, Vice Adm. Eli Sharvit, to replace Bar.
"Sharvit served in the IDF for 36 years, including five years as commander of the Israel Navy. In that position, he led the force building of the maritime defense of the territorial waters and conducted complex operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran," Netanyahu’s office tweeted.
Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg and Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
Amsterdam knife attacker who injured 2 Americans suspected of having 'terrorist motive,' prosecutors say
A man who stabbed five people in Amsterdam last week, including two Americans, likely had a "terrorist motive," Dutch prosecutors announced Tuesday.
The suspect, identified by police as a 30-year-old Ukrainian from the Donetsk region, according to Reuters, was taken into custody Thursday after a bystander reportedly overpowered him.
"The man is suspected of five counts of attempted murder or manslaughter with a terrorist motive," the news agency quoted prosecutors as saying Tuesday.
Authorities identified the victims of the shopping district stabbing spree as a 69-year-old man and 67-year-old woman from the U.S.; a 73-year-old woman from Belgium; a 26-year-old man from Poland; and a 19-year-old woman from Amsterdam.
KNIFE-WIELDING MAN INJURES MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN AMSTERDAM, INCLUDING 2 AMERICANS
"The police investigation is in full swing and has full priority at the moment. We hope to soon get more clarity about the background of this horrible stabbing," Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said last week. "Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and loved ones."
Police said the suspect checked into a hotel in Amsterdam the day before the attack, Reuters reported.
2 PEOPLE KILLED IN KNIFE ATTACK IN GERMANY
The Polish victim has been released from a local hospital. As of Tuesday, the other victims remain in medical care and are in stable condition, Reuters added.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed to Fox News that two U.S. citizens were injured during the incident.
"The U.S. Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas," the spokesperson said. "We are closely following reports of a stabbing in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We extend our sympathies to the victims and to the families of those affected. We can confirm that two U.S. citizens were injured."
Fox News’ Greg Wehner, Nick Kalman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iran mulls preemptive strike on US base after Trump bomb threats
Iranian military commanders are considering a preemptive strike on a joint U.S.-U.K. base on the Chagos Island located in the Indian Ocean in an apparent attempt to deter President Donald Trump from launching a military attack on Iran, a report by the Telegraph first said.
"Like any Iranian military threat, the art is to determine what is bluster and what is real," Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital when asked about the strategy behind the alleged threats against the U.S. base.
"Deception is a propaganda tool used to bolster deterrence and prevent a conventionally weak regime from having to fight," he added. "By threatening everywhere, the regime hopes to have to fight nowhere – meaning its revolutionary foreign policy gets to remain uncontested.
Fox News Digital has not been able to independently confirm the threat of attack on the Diego Garcia base, positioned some 2,400 miles south of Iran, but experts on Iranian security have been sounding the alarm that Tehran likely has, if not direct missile capabilities, options to position its arms that will enable it to hit U.S. strategic interests farther away.
Iran has a "self-imposed" range of roughly 1,200 miles on its ballistic capabilities, though it is suspected that the IRGC has a ballistic strike capability of hitting up to 1,800 miles away using its Khorramshahr-2 medium-range ballistic missile, Ben Taleblu explained in a post on X.
Tehran also has the updated version of the missile known as Khorramshahr-4, also referred to as the Kheibar missile, which is suspected of being able to exceed Iran’s other strike range options, though the extent of its capabilities has not been fully tested.
But even if it is incapable of hitting a U.S. target some 2,400 miles from its most southern border, Iran has proven it is crafty when it comes to expanding its strike range – including through the use of merchant ships and oil tankers converted to warships to expand its long-range strike capabilities.
IRAN'S KHAMENEI WARNS OF 'STRONG BLOW' AS TRUMP THREATENS TO DROP BOMBS, PUTIN SILENT ON US IRE
"There’s always the chance of using a foreign-procured container launched cruise missile from even an unconverted tanker or commercial vessel at sea," Ben Taleblu explained in his post, referring to its use of both Russian and Chinese procured cruise missiles following its war with Iraq in the 1980s.
In addition, Iran could again turn to its close ties to terrorist networks to transfer missile capabilities to war-torn areas like Yemen, which could enable it to strike further south into the Indian Ocean by some 800 miles.
"While all these options would make Iran’s launch platforms, especially at sea, easy targets for a counterstrike, they mean that Tehran does have options to strike further afield than expected," Ben Taleblu said.
Trump in recent days has increased his threats against Iran and warned there could be direct conflict if it doesn’t stop arming the Houthi terrorist group, or halt its nuclear program.
But it remains unclear at what level the U.S. would respond to a direct attack on its military, which could prove catastrophic for Tehran given its revealed defense capabilities when faced with strikes from Israel.
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Iran on Monday also filed a letter of complaint with the United Nations Security Council over Trump’s "reckless and belligerent" threats and described them as "a flagrant violation of international law."
According to a report by Reuters, Iran's U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said Tehran "strongly warns against any military adventurism and will respond swiftly and decisively to any act of aggression or attack by the United States or its proxy, the Israeli regime, against its sovereignty, territorial integrity, or national interests."
