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Gal Dalal has spent nearly a year and a half fighting for the release of his brother, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, who was kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova music festival during the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. 

Dalal wants the world to know who his brother was before he was a face on a poster and why getting Guy out of Gaza is urgent.

"So, my brother is the most warm-hearted man I know. He's a very, very funny guy," Dalal told Fox News Digital. "For me, he's actually my best friend. We share the same interests and hobbies and we do everything together."

FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGE TELLS UN, 'NO MORE EXCUSES,' SAYS AID IS FEEDING TERRORISTS

On Oct. 7, 2023, Guy was in the middle of experiencing his first-ever spiritual festival with his friends when Gal, a more seasoned festival goer, joined the group at approximately 6:15 a.m., less than 15 minutes before the attack began.

Dalal told Fox News Digital that when he arrived at the festival, an excited Guy ran up to hug him before pulling out his phone to take a selfie for their mother.

"That’s the only reason I went there [to the Nova music festival] was to watch over him. And, you know, the fact that I came back without him, I think that’s the worst part of it for me," Dalal told Fox News Digital.

Neither of the Dalal brothers could have known what was coming next. As the sirens began to sound, Dalal told Fox News Digital that he suggested that the group go to his apartment, and they agreed. While Dalal went in his own car, Guy decided to go with his friends. Dalal estimates that Guy and his friends took an additional 10 minutes before leaving the festival area. At this point, they were not alarmed despite the rocket sirens blaring.

FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGE SPEAKS FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT HIS 505 DAYS OF SURVIVING HAMAS HELL

"We [are] used to these alarms. We [are] used to missiles attack and no one thought it's going to be a terror attack in this kind of scale," Dalal told Fox News Digital.

Safety protocol for rocket attacks is widely known in Israel. There are designated amounts of time to seek shelter depending on the location’s distance from Gaza. Many at the Nova festival ran to shelters on the side of the road, which would later turn out to be deadly. Hamas terrorists used the shelters to carry out mass killings. They would throw grenades into groups of people, many of whom did not survive.

Dalal told Fox News Digital that outside the festival, he sat in traffic for about 20 minutes before he heard shooting. From there, he spent hours running for his life. He was too far to go back for Guy, but the two were able to talk on the phone one last time before Guy was taken hostage.

The Dalal family found out on Oct. 7 that Guy and his best friend, Evyatar David, were taken hostage. Hamas published a video of the two kidnapped men already in Gaza. Guy and Evyatar went to the festival with two other friends, both of whom were killed.

Dalal and his family have spent the last 17 months advocating for the release of all the hostages, including Guy. 

"I always say that in one hand, we are so tired. We are literally on the edge. This fight is taking so much out of us, and the only thing that we really care about is my brother seeing him again, knowing that he's well and protecting him. Hug him. Help him to heal. We miss him so much, I miss him so much," Dalal told Fox News Digital.

Recently, the Dalal family received a sign of life, but it was not a relieving sight. Guy and Evyatar were forced to take part in a Hamas propaganda video, in which they were forced to sit in a van and watch hostages be released only to have the door slammed in their faces.

Dalal told Fox News Digital that the video brought him back to Oct. 7 and showed the "psychological torture" the families of hostages endure. He says it’s clear that his brother and Evyatar are being "starved to death."

"It scares me that this negotiation can take more time, and Guy doesn’t have the time," Dalal told Fox News Digital. However, he believes that President Donald Trump and the U.S. have the power to bring the hostages home.

In his fight for his brother’s freedom, Gal traveled to the U.S. and met with members of both the Biden and Trump administrations. He said that meeting the Trump officials felt "different" and that they understood that time is not on their side.

"I think that the only one who can really put the pressure and bring these hostages back and make sure that they will return to their families is President Trump and United States as a nation, you have the power of that, the power and the support that we need to make sure the hostages will return and will come back home," Dalal told Fox News Digital.

Taliban hostage George Glezmann landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday after more than 800 days in captivity in Afghanistan, where he received a "champion's welcome."

"I feel born again," Glezmann told Fox News.  "I have no words."

"President Trump is amazing," he added before thanking Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and hostage envoy Adam Boehler. 

TALIBAN FREES AMERICAN HOSTAGE GEORGE GLEZMANN FOLLOWING NEGOTIATIONS WITH US, QATAR

"A free American individual…abducted because of my U.S. passport."

"I've got no words to express my gratitude for my liberty," Glezmann added.

His wife, Aleksandra, arrived shortly after her husband landed, and the two embraced after she got out of the car for the first time since his Dec. 5, 2022, capture in Kabul. 

Ryan Corbett, who was released in January after nearly 900 days in Taliban captivity greeted Glezmann upon arrival.

Both Glezmann and Corbett were held together in Afghanistan.

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News of Glezmann's release was first revealed to Fox News Digital on Thursday after he departed from the Kabul International Airport headed for Doha, Qatar.

His release was secured by U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler, and Qatari officials, who engaged in direct communications with the Taliban in Afghanistan.  

Boehler met Glezmann in Kabul before flying with him to the Maryland base located just outside of Washington, 

FIRST ON FOX: Hostage envoy Adam Boehler met in person with Taliban officials at the Kabul International Airport, Qatari sources told Fox News Digital, marking the first known time the White House has engaged with Afghanistan’s "interim government" following the 2021 takeover by the terrorist organization.

While the meeting between Boehler and Afghan officials representing the Taliban’s foreign ministry met to secure the release of George Glezmann on Thursday, advisor and spokesman to Qatar's prime minister, Dr Majed al-Ansari, told Fox News Digital that other "beneficial" issues were discussed. 

"U.S. envoy Adam Boehler came to Doha. He had meetings over here, and then we moved to Kabul, where he had meetings in the airport with the foreign minister and other Afghan officials," al-Ansari said. "That was the first meeting of its kind and opened the door for a lot of dialogue on lots of issues, including the issues of detainees."

TALIBAN FREES AMERICAN HOSTAGE GEORGE GLEZMANN FOLLOWING NEGOTIATIONS WITH US, QATAR

"But also other issues that can be very beneficial for the Afghan people and for the people of the United States, and providing security regionally for Afghanistan, but also in general," he added. "It was a good first step that we helped facilitate."

The White House did not return Fox News Digital’s questions on whether Boehler’s in-person meeting suggests the Trump administration may look to establish ties with the Taliban government – a subject that has been taboo among Western nations following the toppling of the democratically elected government and the subsequent severe human rights violations, including the removal of essentially all women’s rights. 

Al-Ansari confirmed that while Qatar has been working with the U.S. since 2022 to facilitate dialogue between Washington and Kabul in the more than three years since the deadly takeover, this is the first time the White House has directly engaged with the Taliban government. 

FAMILY OF THIRD AMERICAN HELD BY TALIBAN CALLS FOR HIS IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 'WE ARE CONCERNED'

"We always said that the way to resolve all of these issues all around the world is through dialog, is through talking, and is through beginning a mode of engagement that is positive and that would bring about more trust between the parties, and would bring about positive results," al-Ansari added, nodding toward Qatar’s heavy involvement in negotiations between Israel and Hamas. 

Boehler, who has not been confirmed by the Senate after he removed his nomination as special envoy to avoid divestment stipulations, serves as a "special government employee focused on hostage negotiations," according to a statement by White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly.

The freedom of Glezmann is the second major release Boehler secured this month after Marc Fogel was returned from Russia following his August 2021 arrest. 

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Boehler, who helped secure the Abraham Accords as a lead negotiator during the first Trump administration, turned heads following the revelation that he met with another terrorist organization earlier this month – Hamas.

The hostage envoy met directly with Hamas officials in an attempt to secure the release of the five American hostages still held in the Gaza Strip, including Edan Alexander, who is the only remaining American hostage still alive. 

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to seize more territory in Gaza if Hamas continues to refuse to release the hostages. Earlier this week, the IDF resumed the war in Gaza after a nearly two-month-long ceasefire that saw the release of 33 hostages.

"If the terrorist organization Hamas continues to refuse to release the hostages, I have instructed the IDF to seize additional territories, while evacuating the population, and to expand the security zones around Gaza for the benefit of protecting Israeli communities and IDF soldiers, through permanent Israeli control of the territory," Katz said in a statement. "As Hamas continues its refusal, it will lose more and more territory that will be annexed to Israel."

If Israel follows through on Katz’s threat of partial annexation, it would be the biggest shift to the status quo in Gaza in almost 20 years. In 2005, Israel evacuated Gaza and even sent in the IDF to physically take Israelis out of their homes. A year later, Hamas took control and has ruled over the Strip ever since.

HAMAS LAUNCHES FIRST ATTACK ON ISRAEL SINCE CEASEFIRE COLLAPSE

Katz also said that Israel will continue Operation "Strength and Sword" with increasing intensity until Hamas releases the hostages. Additionally, he affirmed Israel’s adherence to the proposal put forth by U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, which involves getting all hostages, alive and dead, out of Gaza in two phases.

The Trump administration is standing by Israel’s military decisions. This is a very different approach than the one taken by the Biden administration, which supported Israel militarily and diplomatically, but also put pressure on the country to limit civilian casualties in Gaza.

​ISRAELI OFFICIAL THANKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AS THE COUNTRY RESUMES WAR IN GAZA

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that President Donald Trump "fully supports Israel and the IDF in the actions that they’ve taken in recent days." The president previously warned Hamas that there would be "hell to pay" if the hostages were not released.

"Hamas could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose war," NSC Spokesman James Hewitt said on Thursday. "These terrorists bear total responsibility for this conflict and the resumption of hostilities. Every death would have and could have been avoided had Hamas accepted the 'bridge' proposal Special Envoy Witkoff offered last week."

While fighting the war against Gaza, Israel is also experiencing internal turmoil. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that a vote to dismiss the head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s version of the FBI, had passed. Current Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar will serve in the role until April 10, but that could change depending on when a replacement for him is found.

Netanyahu claimed he could not trust Bar, according to a statement from his spokesperson cited by Axios. In a letter distributed by the Shin Bet, Bar dismissed the claim and said the motives behind his firing were baseless. On Friday, Israel's Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction preventing Bar's dismissal, which will remain in place until the court can hear petitions against the dismissal.

A former special envoy to Haiti blames what he views as former President Joe Biden's absentee approach to decision-making for the current woes afflicting the Caribbean nation.

Daniel Foote served as special envoy to Haiti in 2021 but resigned in protest over what he said was the administration’s failed approach of supporting unpopular and unelected leaders.

"All of the governments that the U.S. has backed or anointed or imposed in the last 110 years have not represented the Haitian people," Foote said. He said the Biden administration backed the then-unelected Prime Minister Ariel Henry solely for his unwavering loyalty despite lingering questions about how Henry rose to power.

GANG VIOLENCE IN HAITI AT RECORD LEVELS AMID CRITICISMS US HAS NO 'CLEAR STRATEGY'

Foote has been involved with Haiti since the devastating 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people. He now believes the country has descended into near-total collapse.

"It's a thousand times worse now because we broke whatever weak social contract there was between the people and the government. And there has been no government since basically 2012. It's a failed state."

A recent U.N. report revealed that more than 1 million people have been displaced due to gang violence in Haiti, nearly 10% of the population. Another report indicated that 85% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, is under gang control.

Foote said he never met Biden while serving as envoy, claiming that by then, Biden had "deteriorated to the point that they didn’t want him to see a lot of people." Instead, he said, Victoria Nuland, undersecretary of state for political affairs, and U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Michele Sison devised the plan to support Henry.

Foote said he recalled a remark that Biden allegedly made as a senator in 1994: "If Haiti just quietly sunk into the Caribbean, or rose up 300 feet, it wouldn’t matter a whole lot in terms of our interests."

"That explains Joe Biden's approach to Haiti," Foote said.

HAITIAN MAN CHARGED IN NC TRIPLE MURDER FLEW INTO US UNDER BIDEN MIGRANT FLIGHTS PROGRAM: ICE

Biden’s spokesperson and Sison did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

Nuland rejected Foote’s accusations, calling them "completely false" and referred Fox News Digital to former Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols.

"What I observed that there was intense coordination, and there was not one person or two people who would make a significant decision on the policy," Nichols said, noting that he got the job roughly a week before Foote resigned on Sept. 21 and so was not involved in earlier decisions. "All issues were debated extensively internally at multiple levels, all the way up to the principals, that's the Cabinet secretary level."

Foote said that in the past he felt no need for security while walking around Haiti because Americans were widely welcomed. Things are not the same anymore.

"Now the Haitians are looking at China, looking at Russia," he said. "They're like, ‘Somebody help us. The Americans just keep screwing us over,’ yet they still want the Americans to help them."

The Biden administration committed around $600 million to fund an international security force, known as the multinational security support mission (MSS), composed of personnel from countries like Bangladesh, Kenya, Chad and Guyana. But Foote said he sees the MSS strategy as a waste of taxpayer money.

"They don't have the security backbone to take on the gangs," he said. "They need help. And that help is not 5,000 random police officers from a mishmash of 10 different developing countries led by the Kenyans, who have never led a security mission in history."

Nichols defended the MSS, declaring their efforts "incredibly heroic."

"Having seen them on the ground in Haiti, it's an extremely professional force, extremely courageous and one committed to the mission," he said.

Foote recommends that President Donald Trump send 60 U.S. special forces personnel to train an elite anti-gang unit in Haiti and reestablish a signals intelligence program to monitor gang communication. Without such action, he said, the consequences would extend far beyond Haiti’s borders.

"It's just going to continue to create chaos right off the U.S. shores and create a massive surge in migration," he said. "Because if you walk down the street in Port-au-Prince, you look around and think, 'I can understand why people leave. Humans can’t live in these conditions.'"

Jack Brewer, who played in the NFL before founding a global foundation that has been in Haiti since the devastating 2010 earthquakes, echoed Foote’s assessment.

"People are being burned alive, police officers are getting their heads bashed into the pavement – bloody, torturous deaths," Brewer said. "One of my doctors had five of his close friends and relatives murdered. This all just happened this week."

Brewer said that any real change can come only from within Haiti.

"I'm talking about a culture that doesn't accept stealing and doesn't accept corruption," he said. "Right now, culturally, it's acceptable to steal, and that has to change. Until you fix the moral fabric of a nation and reinstate law and order, it doesn't matter what America does."

UNITED NATIONS — Former Hamas hostage Eli Sharabi went before the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) with his heartbreaking story and a simple plea: "Bring them all home now."

Sharabi has been free for less than six weeks, but in that time, he has already advocated for the hostages and spoken with world leaders about the plight of those still languishing in Hamas’ hands.

"On Oct. 7, my heaven turned to hell," Sharabi, who was taken from Kibbutz Be’eri, recalled. "Sirens began, Hamas terrorists invaded and I was ripped away from my family, never to see them again."

Kibbutz Be’eri saw some of the worst of the Oct. 7 massacre. More than 100 of its residents were murdered, and 30 were taken hostage during the attacks, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Among those killed were Sharabi’s wife and two daughters. He only learned of their murders when he returned from Gaza.

FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGE SPEAKS FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT HIS 505 DAYS OF SURVIVING HAMAS HELL

"Then I arrived home. They told me my mother and sister were waiting for me. I said, ‘Get me my wife and daughters.’ And that was when I knew. They were gone. They had been murdered," Sharabi told the council. Sharabi’s brother, Yossi, was also taken hostage but was killed in captivity. His body is still in Gaza.

When Sharabi was released Feb. 8 alongside Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami, the world noticed that all three men looked gaunt. At the time, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said it was "what a crime against humanity looks like." President Donald Trump said the men "looked like Holocaust survivors" and seemed to be "in horrible condition."

Sharabi told the council that when he got back to Israel after spending 491 days in Hamas captivity, he weighed just 44 kilograms (97 pounds). He spoke about the pain of starvation and how, through the beatings — including one so severe his ribs were broken — he was consumed by hunger.

Sharabi testified that he was only given a pita a day and would be forced to beg for extra food. That was when he told the council where the U.N. humanitarian aid was going.

FORMER HAMAS HOSTAGE BRIEFS UN SECURITY COUNCIL ON THE 'PURE HELL' THAT WAS CAPTIVITY IN GAZA

"I know that you discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza very often. But let me tell you, as an eyewitness, I saw what happened to that aid. Hamas stole it," Sharabi said. "I saw Hamas terrorists carrying boxes with the U.N. and UNRWA emblems on them into the tunnel. Dozens and dozens of boxes, paid by your governments, feeding terrorists who tortured me and murdered my family."

Many hostages who have returned say Hamas would eat in front of them as torture, never giving any food to the captives.

"When you speak of humanitarian aid, remember this: Hamas eats like kings while hostages starve. Hamas steals from civilians. Hamas blocks aid from reaching those who truly need it," Sharabi told the council.

Sharabi also slammed the U.N., the Red Cross and the world for their silence and inaction. 

"Where was the United Nations? Where was the Red Cross? Where was the world?" he asked.

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon echoed this point, saying the security council "erased the hostages" and failed to mention "the humanitarian crimes Hamas is deliberately inflicting on the hostages." Danon then accused the "entire U.N. system" of abandoning its responsibility and the hostages.

Danon emphasized the war would not end until the remaining hostages were returned home.

Sharabi concluded his remarks with one demand.

"Bring them all home. No more excuses. No more delays. If you stand for humanity — prove it. Bring them home," he said.

Thirty years on from the fatal sarin nerve gas attack in Tokyo's subway network, survivors and families who lost loved ones are still seeking justice.

Thirteen people were killed and thousands were sickened when cult members released sarin nerve gas in the capital's subway trains on March 20, 1995. The attack remains one of the most shocking atrocities in Japan, a country known for its low crime rates.

20 YEARS LATER, A SURVIVOR RECOUNTS JAPAN'S SARIN GAS ATTACK AND HOW IT AFFECTED HIS LIFE

The cult, Aum Shinrikyo or Supreme Truth, has since disbanded. Its founder, Shoko Asahara, and 12 of his disciples were executed in 2018.

But 1,600 former members still operate under renamed groups and have ignored an order to pay damages to survivors and bereaved families.

Shizue Takahashi lost her husband, a deputy station master, in the attack. The couple was just starting to enjoy time to themselves after raising three children when tragedy struck.

"My life is still being ruined by Aum and its successor groups," said Takahashi, 78. "We need to carry on and not let the memories fade."

People gasped for air and collapsed

At 8 a.m. during the morning rush, five cult members got on separate train cars on three subway lines converging at Kasumigaseki, Japan’s government center, each dropping bags of sarin on the train floors. They punctured the bags with umbrellas, releasing the gas inside the train cars.

Within minutes, commuters poured out of the trains onto the platforms, rubbing their eyes and gasping for air. Some collapsed. Others fled onto the streets where ambulances and rescue workers in hazmat suits gave first-aid.

Kazumasa Takahashi didn’t know the puddle he was cleaning on the subway car floor was sarin. He collapsed as he removed a bag — a sacrifice some survivors say saved lives — and never woke up.

The attack sickened more than 6,000. A 14th victim died in 2020 after battling severe after-effects.

The subway gassing happened after a botched police investigation failed to link the cult to earlier crimes, says Yuji Nakamura, a lawyer for the survivors and the bereaved families. "It could have been prevented," he said.

Two days after the gassing, Tokyo police, carrying a caged canary to detect poison, raided Aum’s headquarters near Mount Fuji, where the cultists lived together, trained and produced sarin. Asahara was found in a hidden compartment.

Apocalyptic cult

Born Chizuo Matsumoto in 1955, Asahara founded Aum Shinrikyo in 1984. The cult combined Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and yoga, and attracted young people disillusioned with materialism. He taught that death could elevate their spirits and justified killing as a virtue.

Followers paid to drink Asahara’s bathwater and wore electrical head gear they believed synchronized their brain waves with the guru’s. He prophesized an imminent apocalypse, which only true believers would survive.

Asahara gathered doctors, lawyers and scientists from Japan’s top universities as his closest aides.

Using donations from followers and earnings from yoga classes and health food businesses, they bought land and equipment. Asahara’s scientists developed and manufactured sarin, VX and other chemical and biological weapons.

In 1989, its members killed Tsutsumi Sakamoto, a lawyer who opposed the cult, his wife and baby boy. Their criminal activities escalated after their defeat in the 1990 parliamentary elections. A 1994 sarin attack in the central Japanese city of Matsumoto killed eight and injured more than 140 others.

In all, Aum killed 27 people in more than a dozen attacks that culminated in the subway gassing. It was part of a plot by Asahara to hasten Armageddon, envisioning overthrowing the government.

Still seeking redress

Shizue Takahashi attended most of the Aum criminal trials. She has lobbied for government support, winning the enactment of a law to support crime victims and government benefits of 3 billion yen ($20 million) for more than 6,000 survivors and bereaved families of the Aum crimes.

The government has also enacted laws banning sarin production and possession, and restricted the activities of groups linked to mass killings. Police have since established nuclear, biological and chemical weapons units and beefed up training.

Aum’s main successor, Aleph, has ignored a court order to pay 1 billion yen ($6.7 million) in compensation to survivors and bereaved families. The group has allegedly hidden billions of yen of income from yoga and spiritual seminars.

Many of the subway gassing survivors still suffer health problems and trauma, according to support groups.

Takahashi and others last week called on Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki to do more to accelerate compensation by Aleph and keep them under close watch.

Survivors and their supporters say lessons have not been sufficiently shared with the public.

Shoko Egawa, a journalist and expert on Aum crimes, says attention on the group has largely focused on its crimes rather than teaching people to stay away from dangerous cults. "There is still a lot to learn from (the Aum problems), including how they attracted followers, so that we can prevent people from getting their lives ruined by cults," Egawa said.

Takahashi recently launched a website that compiles articles and comments by survivors, lawyers and writers, including Haruki Murakami’s 2007 article about his 1997 book "Underground."

Aum’s remnants

At its peak, the cult boasted more than 10,000 followers in Japan and 30,000 in Russia and elsewhere. Aum has disbanded, but about 1,600 people belonging to Aleph and two smaller groups in Japan still practice Asahara’s teachings, said the Public Security Intelligence Agency, which monitors the groups.

Minoru Kariya, whose father was killed by Aum members in early 1995 while he was trying to get his sister to quit the cult, said authorities need to do much more to tackle the threat.

"It’s scary that they still exist and are operating as organizations and recruiting new followers," he said.

Israeli forces began military ground operations in Gaza, particularly the Hamas stronghold of Rafah in an effort to degrade the terror group's infrastructure, authorities said Thursday. 

The Israel Defense Forces said a ground operation was taking place in the "Shavura" neighborhood, as well as parts of central and northern Gaza. 

ISRAEL SHOOTS DOWN HOUTHI BALLISTIC MISSILE AFTER CEASEFIRE COLLAPSES

"In recent hours, IDF forces began a ground operation in the area of ​​the ‘Shavura’ neighborhood in Rafah," the IDF wrote on X. "As part of the operation, the forces destroyed several terrorist infrastructures."

In recent months, Hamas terrorists exploited a site in northern Gaza, which previously served as the "Turkish" hospital, as a command and control center, from which they directed and carried out terrorist attacks against IDF troops and Israel.

In response, IDF troops operated to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure at the site.

Furthermore, over the past few hours, the Israeli air force has continued to target and dismantle terrorists and terrorist infrastructure throughout Gaza.

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

Israel resumed military operations against Hamas this week following a short-lived ceasefire after it said the terror group repeatedly rebuffed offers to release the remaining hostages it took on Oct. 7, 2023. 

The IDF also struck a military site containing an underground terrorist infrastructure site in the Beqaa area in Lebanon, as well as another site with rocket launchers in southern Lebanon where Hezbollah terrorists actively operate. 

On Thursday night, siens blared across a number of areas following a projectile launched from Yemen, the IDF said. 

Sen. John Fetterman, who visited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week, posted a video on X as the sirens went off. 

NETANYAHU GIFTS FETTER A SILVER-PLATED BEEPER AFTER HE PRAISED ISRAEL'S LEBANON PAGER OPERATION

"Incoming rocket sirens sounding off in Israel," he wrote. "Imagine living under these conditions. Imagine being the Members of Congress voting against what protects Israel from this."

A holy site for Christians, Muslims and Jews also came under fire from Yemen-based, Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have attached commercial shipping in the Red Sea and U.S. naval forces in solidarity with Hamas, the IDF said. 

Authorities also announced the deaths of Hamas senior leaders and another from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group. 

China executed four Canadians in recent months, Canada's foreign affairs minister said Wednesday. Such executions of Westerners are relatively rare.

Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said she and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked for clemency in the drug-related accusations involving the dual citizens.

Beijing’s embassy in Ottawa said the executions were due to drug crimes and noted that China does not recognize dual citizenship.

CHINA'S US INFLUENCE COULD FACE CRACKDOWN UNDER SLATE OF NEW BILLS

"We strongly condemn the executions," Joly told reporters in Ottawa. "I asked personally for leniency ... They were all dual citizens."

Joly said Canada consistently asks for clemency for Canadians facing the death penalty abroad. She said the families have asked the government to withhold details of the identity of the four individuals.

Global Affairs spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod said they continue to provide consular assistance to families and requested that the media respect their privacy. She said Ottawa continues to advocate for clemency for Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian who was sentenced to death for drug smuggling.

"China always imposes severe penalties on drug-related crimes," a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy said. "The facts of the crimes committed by the Canadian nationals involved in the cases are clear, and the evidence is solid and sufficient."

China is believed to execute more prisoners each year than the rest of the world combined, though the total is a state secret. Executions are traditionally carried out by gunshot, though lethal injections have been introduced in recent years.

The embassy spokesperson said Beijing "fully guaranteed the rights and interests of the Canadian nationals concerned," and urged Canada's government to "stop making irresponsible remarks."

The two countries have some tensions. China imposed retaliatory tariffs on some Canadian farm and food imports earlier this month, after Canada imposed duties in October on Chinese-made electric vehicles and steel and aluminum products. The tariffs add to global trade tensions amid rounds of tariff announcements by the United States, China, Canada and Mexico.

"China is sending us a message that we have to take steps if we want to see an improvement in the relationship," said a former Canadian ambassador to China, Guy Saint-Jacques.

Ian Brodie, a former chief of staff to ex-Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, posted on social media that it turns out "agricultural tariffs weren’t the worst part of the PRC response to EV tariffs."

And opposition Conservative lawmaker Michael Chong said "executing a number of Canadians in short order is unprecedented, and is clearly a sign that Beijing has no intention of improving relations with Canada."

China is Canada’s second largest trading partner, but relations have been bad since Canadian authorities in 2018 arrested a former Huawei executive who the U.S. had charged with fraud.

China jailed two Canadians shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of the company’s founder, on a U.S. extradition request. They were sent back to Canada in 2021, the same day Meng returned to China after reaching a deal with U.S. authorities in her case.

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Many countries called China’s action "hostage politics," while China described the charges against Huawei and Meng as a politically motivated attempt to hold back China’s economic and technological development.

Amnesty International condemned the executions and noted that China executed thousands of people in 2023.

"These shocking and inhumane executions of Canadian citizens by Chinese authorities should be a wake-up call for Canada," the group’s head for English-speaking Canada, Ketty Nivyabandi, said Wednesday in a statement.

FIRST ON FOX: The Taliban on Thursday released American hostage George Glezmann after holding him for more than two years in Afghanistan following negotiations between the Trump administration and Qatari officials, a diplomatic source with knowledge of the release told Fox News Digital.

Glezmann departed the Kabul airport Wednesday evening local time on his way to Doha where he will then be met by U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler along with a team from the Qatari Foreign Ministry.

The release of the 65-year-old American, abducted while visiting Kabul as a tourist on Dec. 5, 2022, comes after Boehler met with officials from the Afghan foreign ministry in direct talks alongside Qatari officials.

FAMILY OF THIRD AMERICAN HELD BY TALIBAN CALLS FOR HIS IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 'WE ARE CONCERNED'

While Qatar has maintained diplomatic relations with Afghanistan following the 2021 Taliban takeover, the U.S. has not. 

The diplomatic source confirmed that Glezmann’s release was done as a "goodwill gesture" by the Taliban as an indication of "trust" in Qatar’s continued role as intermediary between Washington and Kabul. 

The exchange differs from the release of two other Americans freed earlier this year, including Ryan Corbett and William Mckenty, who were released in exchange for a Taliban member in U.S. custody in a final hour deal struck by the Biden administration.

Secretary of State Macro Rubio championed the release and said, "George Glezmann is free. George was wrongfully detained in Afghanistan for two and a half years, but now he’s on his way to be reunited with his wife Aleksandra. Welcome home, George!"

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The Trump administration has made hostage releases around the globe a top priority, as well as renewing relations with adversarial nations. 

It is unclear at this point if Boehler's meeting with the Afghan foreign ministry signifies the U.S. will establish official diplomatic ties with the Taliban, particularly as Washington tries to secure the release of another American still held in Afghanistan.

U.S. citizen Mahmood Habibi has been held by the Taliban for more than two years, though the insurgent-run goverment denies it is holding him 

Check back on this developing story. 

Israeli troops re-imposed a blockade of the northern capital of Gaza City on Thursday, less than a day after once again deploying troops into the Gaza Strip.

Israel continued with its bombardment of Gaza as well, killing 85 Palestinians from Wednesday into Thursday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. Israel maintained the blockade of Gaza City for much of the war prior to the January ceasefire, which collapsed earlier this week.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) warned residents not to use the main road to travel north into Gaza City.

The IDF is also conducting further ground operations in the northern town of Beit Lahiya. Most of the Palestinian deaths over the past 24 hours have centered on the town.

ISRAEL SHOOTS DOWN HOUTHI BALLISTIC MISSILE AFTER CEASEFIRE COLLAPSES

Hamas launched a handful of rockets into Israel on Thursday, resulting in no casualties.

The total death toll in Gaza since Tuesday has risen to 592, according to the health ministry. The death toll has not been independently verified.

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

In addition to the blockade at Gaza City, IDF troops are also deployed to the Netzarim corridor, a key section of Gaza that essentially cuts the strip in half. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that Israel will continue its military operations until every hostage has been returned from Hamas custody.

"Hamas refused offer after offer to release our hostages. In the past two weeks, Israel did not initiate any military action, in the hope that Hamas would change course. Well, that didn't happen. While Israel accepted the offer of President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas flatly refused to do so," Netanyahu said in a video shared to X on Tuesday. "This is why I authorized yesterday, the renewal of military action against Hamas."

CEASEFIRE OVER AS ISRAEL STRIKES GAZA AFTER HAMAS REFUSED TO RELEASE HOSTAGES, OFFICIALS SAY

"Israel does not target Palestinian civilians. We target Hamas terrorists," he declared. "And when these terrorists embed themselves in civilian areas, when they use civilians as human shields, they're the ones who are responsible for all unintended casualties."

A U.K.-France-led "coalition of the willing" is bringing together senior military officers from across the globe to devise a plan for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine. 

France and the U.K. are the only two countries in the coalition that have said they would be willing to send troops, but Canada, Australia, Finland and other European nations are said to be open to being involved, according to the Associated Press (AP). However, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said this week that the coalition is entering its "operational phase."

As of now, it is not clear exactly how many troops will be on the ground, but according to the AP, officials say it will be between 10,000 and 30,000.

​TRUMP, PUTIN AGREE TO BEGIN CEASEFIRE NEGOTIATIONS IN MIDDLE EAST, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

President Donald Trump had separate conversations this week with Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. 

"He reiterated that all must work together to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position to secure a just and lasting peace," a spokesperson for Starmer told Reuters in reference to the call with Trump. 

TRUMP HOLDS 'VERY GOOD' CALL WITH ZELENSKYY FOLLOWING DEAL WITH PUTIN

Macron also said he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who the French leader says "demonstrated courage" in his acceptance of the U.S. deal. 

"We must now move forward with all our partners to present a concrete peace plan. A peace plan that provides strong security guarantees for Ukraine. A peace plan that ensures lasting peace in Ukraine and Europe. A peace plan that prevents Russia from attacking again," Macron wrote in a post on X.

Russia has rejected the idea of troops from NATO nations being based in Ukraine as part of this deal, according to the AP. 

Throughout the war, the Kremlin has made clear its stance against Ukraine joining NATO. Earlier this week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko reiterated this stance with a Russian paper. Reuters reported that Grushko said the Kremlin demanded an "ironclad" guarantee that Ukraine would not be in NATO. 

Trump, who has promised to end the three-year war, also spoke with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin this week. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said his call with Zelenskyy was "very good," and added that the two discussed his call with Putin.

"Much of the discussion was based on the call made yesterday with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs," Trump wrote.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt detailed Trump and Putin’s call in a statement. She said that the two agreed the war "needs to end with a lasting peace." Trump and Putin also apparently discussed the need for improved U.S.-Russian relations.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says she agrees with recent comments from Vice President JD Vance that mass migration into Europe is a major problem.

Frederiksen made the comment during an interview with Politico published Thursday, saying it is critical that Europe begin stemming the flow of foreign migrants.

"I consider this mass migration into Europe as a threat to the daily life in Europe," Frederiksen said in a throwback to Vance's Feb. 14 speech at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

Frederiksen has backed up her rhetoric with policy as well, with her administration building on anti-migrant policies. Denmark now confiscates valuables from migrants to refund the cost of housing them, and the country's "No Ghetto" laws ensure no neighborhood has an outsized concentration of migrants, Politico reported.

MD GOV DEFENDS $190K TRUMP-CENTRIC IRISH CONSULTANT CONTRACT AS POTUS MOVES IN NEXT DOOR

"I totally believe in equal opportunities and a Scandinavian welfare model with a tax-paid education, social benefits and health care. But for me that’s only one traditional pillar of being a social democrat," she argued to Politico.

"Being in control of migration is the second pillar," she added.

LAWMAKERS FROM STATE WITH MOST FEDERAL WORKERS PER CAPITA WARN AGAINST TRUMP BUYOUT BID

Vance's speech in Munich served as a general wake-up call to Europe from President Donald Trump's administration, admonishing leaders across the continent for straying from traditional values and quashing dissent.

"The threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it's not China. It's not any other external actor," Vance said at the time. "What I worry about is the threat from within the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America."

Vance went on to reference efforts in Romania and Germany to prevent anti-migrant movements from gaining power.

"The crisis this continent faces right now, the crisis I believe we all face together, is one of our own making. If you're running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you," Vance said.

Malaysia’s government gave final approval for a Texas-based company to resume the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 more than a decade after the airplane’s disappearance. 

Terms and conditions of a "no-find, no fee" contract have been agreed upon with Ocean Infinity to launch a seabed search operation at a new 5,800-square-mile site, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke. The company will be paid $70 million only if wreckage is discovered. 

"The government is committed to continuing the search operation and providing closure for the families of the passengers of flight MH370," Loke said in a statement. 

The 2014 disappearance remains one of the most vexing mysteries in aviation. The Boeing 777 took off from Kuala Lumpur headed to Beijing on March 8, 2014, and disappeared around 90 seconds after leaving Malaysian airspace with all 239 of its passengers seemingly gone without a trace. Satellite data showed the plane turned from its flight path and headed south to the far-southern Indian Ocean, where it is believed to have crashed. 

NEW CLUES 10 YEARS AFTER THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MH370 

Ocean Infinity declined comment when reached by Fox News Digital Thursday morning. It told Fox News last year that it hoped "to narrow the search area down to one in which success becomes potentially achievable." 

An expensive multinational search failed to turn up any clues to MH370’s location, although debris washed ashore on the east African coast and Indian Ocean islands. A private search in 2018 by Ocean Infinity also found nothing, although CEO Oliver Punkett earlier this year reportedly said the company had improved its technology since then. 

NEW THEORY ON THE VANISHED MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT 

Loke said his ministry will ink a contract with Ocean Infinity soon but didn’t provide details on the terms. The firm reportedly sent a search vessel to the site and indicated in December that January-April is the best period for the search. 

"While the next of kin of the passengers and crew on board attempt to rebuild our lives, the threat to global aviation safety remains a live issue," Voice370, a group of relatives of passengers from MH370, previously said in a statement. 

"As long as we remain in the dark about what happened to MH370, we will never be able to prevent a similar tragedy. Accordingly, we believe that it is a matter of paramount importance that the search for MH370 is carried out to its completion." 

Fox News’ Greg Palkot, Peter Aitken and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Hamas has claimed responsibility for rockets fired at Israel on Thursday.

"This launch is the resistance's first response to the zionist entity's violation of the ceasefire, which resulted over 710 martyrs in the last three days. It also comes after the IOF's renewed ground invasion into Beit Lahia this morning, and the failure of the mediators and the world to curb the IOF's aggression," according to reports.

Strikes launched by Israel killed at least 58 Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip overnight and into Thursday, according to hospitals via the Associated Press.

The Jewish State resumed attacks across Gaza earlier this week, breaking a ceasefire, which reportedly killed over 400 Palestinians – mostly women and children – on Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

Israel's military indicated that it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels early Thursday before it entered Israel's airspace, the AP reported.

ISRAEL LAUNCHES NEW GROUND OPERATION IN GAZA

"Hamas refused offer after offer to release our hostages. In the past two weeks, Israel did not initiate any military action, in the hope that Hamas would change course. Well, that didn't happen. While Israel accepted the offer of President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas flatly refused to do so," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video shared to X on Tuesday. "This is why I authorized yesterday, the renewal of military action against Hamas."

"Israel does not target Palestinian civilians. We target Hamas terrorists," he declared. "And when these terrorists embed themselves in civilian areas, when they use civilians as human shields, they're the ones who are responsible for all unintended casualties."

Israel launched its war on Hamas in response to the terrorist group's heinous attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

CEASEFIRE OVER AS ISRAEL STRIKES GAZA AFTER HAMAS REFUSED TO RELEASE HOSTAGES, OFFICIALS SAY 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., a staunch supporter of Israel, continued to express his support while visiting the foreign nation this week.

"Hamas does not want peace. I unapologetically, 100% stand with Israel, and demand the release of all remaining hostages. Sending this from Israel," Fetterman said on X on Tuesday.

NETANYAHU GIFTS FETTERMAN A SILVER-PLATED BEEPER AFTER HE PRAISED ISRAEL'S LEBANON PAGER OPERATION 

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Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said on X on Wednesday, "Hamas could end this war right now if it released the hostages held in Gaza. It could’ve done so months ago, but instead it’s brought devastation by prolonging this conflict. America must lead the world in pressuring Hamas to end this war and bring the hostages home."

Strikes launched by Israel killed at least 58 Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip overnight and into Thursday, according to hospitals via The Associated Press.

The Jewish State resumed attacks across Gaza earlier this week, breaking a ceasefire, which reportedly killed over 400 Palestinians – mostly women and children – on Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

Israel's military indicated that it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels early Thursday before it entered Israel's airspace, The AP reported.

ISRAEL LAUNCHES NEW GROUND OPERATION IN GAZA

"Hamas refused offer after offer to release our hostages. In the past two weeks, Israel did not initiate any military action, in the hope that Hamas would change course. Well, that didn't happen. While Israel accepted the offer of President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas flatly refused to do so," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video shared to X on Tuesday. "This is why I authorized yesterday, the renewal of military action against Hamas."

"Israel does not target Palestinian civilians. We target Hamas terrorists," he declared. "And when these terrorists embed themselves in civilian areas, when they use civilians as human shields, they're the ones who are responsible for all unintended casualties."

Israel launched its war on Hamas in response to the terrorist group's heinous attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

CEASEFIRE OVER AS ISRAEL STRIKES GAZA AFTER HAMAS REFUSED TO RELEASE HOSTAGES, OFFICIALS SAY 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., a staunch supporter of Israel, continued to express his support while visiting the foreign nation this week.

"Hamas does not want peace. I unapologetically, 100% stand with Israel, and demand the release of all remaining hostages. Sending this from Israel," Fetterman said on X on Tuesday.

NETANYAHU GIFTS FETTERMAN A SILVER-PLATED BEEPER AFTER HE PRAISED ISRAEL'S LEBANON PAGER OPERATION 

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Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said on X on Wednesday, "Hamas could end this war right now if it released the hostages held in Gaza. It could’ve done so months ago, but instead it’s brought devastation by prolonging this conflict. America must lead the world in pressuring Hamas to end this war and bring the hostages home."

FIRST ON FOX: Following a year of significant setbacks in the Middle East for Iran with its proxy forces flagging in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria, Tehran is leaning on its influence over the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen to carry out its offensive aims. 

According to findings obtained by sources embedded in Tehran who are affiliated with the Iranian resistance group called the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, not only are some of Iran’s most senior military officials in its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) involved in Houthi decision-making, but Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has his thumb on the deadly group. 

President Donald Trump’s recent threats against Tehran over its sponsorship of the Houthis are supported in the report, which claims well-placed sources have confirmed that one of the most senior commanders in the IRGC’s Quds Force – the elite branch of the Iranian military – is "directly commanding Houthi activities."

IRAN TRYING TO BOLSTER ITS 'BATTERED DETERRENCE' WITH RESPONSE TO TRUMP THREATS AGAINST HOUTHIS, EXPERT SAYS

Khamenei, according to the report compiled by the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and first obtained by Fox News Digital, personally supervises all Houthi "political and military affairs" that are first approved by his regime.

"According to reports received from within the IRGC, Khamenei has personally emphasized the importance of Houthi attacks and the necessity of sending weapons and equipment for the Houthis to IRGC commanders and regime officials," the report said. 

The weakening of Iran’s "Axis of Resistance" amid the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria has increasingly pushed Tehran to lean on its proxies in Iraq and Yemen.

More than 100 attacks on commercial shipping vessels have been committed by Houthi forces since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, which sparked responses from surrounding terrorist networks, including Hezbollah.

The exchange of missile and drone fire by both the Houthis and U.S. forces escalated this week when the terrorist network threatened to renew strikes on Israeli vessels after Jerusalem cut off humanitarian aid headed for the Gaza Strip this month.

President Trump responded by vowing "overwhelming lethal force" until the Houthi attacks ceased and warned Iran that it would be held "fully accountable" for any attacks.

TRUMP'S SIGHTS SET ON IRAN AFTER US AIRSTRIKES DECIMATE MORE THAN 30 HOUTHI TARGETS

"[IRGC Brig. Gen. Abdolreza] Shahlai is in charge of all military, political, and economic matters related to the regime’s intervention in Yemen, including all Houthi operations and attacks," the report said, noting his close ties to the former commander of the Quds Force who was killed by then-President Trump's order in Iraq in 2020, Qassem Soleimani. Soleimani had the blood of hundreds of American soldiers on his hands. 

The report also found that the Iranian Embassy in Yemen is currently under "full control" of the Quds Force.

While it is not necessarily unheard of for intelligence operatives to work out of embassies abroad, the report said it could find no evidence that any personnel from Iran’s Foreign Ministry were in its embassy in Yemen.

The Iranian Embassy in Sana'a, Yemen, did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions. 

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"The mullahs' regime is the root cause of war and instability in the region, sustained through repression at home and the export of terrorism and conflict abroad," Ali Safavi, a member of the NCRI's Foreign Affairs Committee, told Fox News Digital. "The only viable solution to the Iranian crisis is the regime’s overthrow by the Iranian people."

"A decisive international policy toward Iran must recognize and support the legitimacy of the Iranian resistance, proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist entity, activate the U.N. Security Council snapback mechanism and endorse the Resistance Units’ fight against the regime," he added. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is facing criticism over what critics say is a crackdown on opposition political figures after police detained his main rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, on charges of corruption and links to terrorism.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued detention orders for İmamoğlu and 106 other prominent political figures. The suspects are alleged to have committed offenses including bribery, embezzlement, bid rigging, aggravated fraud and unlawful acquisition of personal data.

İmamoğlu was accused of collaborating with the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, a Kurdish nationalist group that has led an insurgency against the Turkish state and is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union.

BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION SEEKS TO REIN IN ERDOĞAN'S TURKEY OVER TIES TO US FOES

Critics remain suspicious of the arrest of a prominent opposition figure, especially at a time when Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development (AKP) party has suffered losses in local elections in the past year.

"İmamoğlu's arrest is no coincidence. He is Erdoğan’s political nemesis, and his likely candidacy to run against him for the presidency has been weighing on Erdoğan’s mind," Sinan Ciddi, nonresident senior fellow on Turkey at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.

Ciddi warned that the detention of political adversaries represents the end point of Turkey as a democracy, claiming that free and fair elections as well as peaceful transfer of power are no longer possible.

Turkish officials pushed back on accusations that the wave of arrests was politically motivated.

TURKEY'S CONFRONTATIONAL FOREIGN POLICY CHALLENGES GREECE, EUROPEAN UNION AMID RISING MARITIME TENSIONS

A spokesperson from the Turkish Embassy in Washington referred Fox News Digital to a statement from the Justice Ministry.

"Attempting to associate judicial investigations and cases with our President is, to say the least, an act of audacity and irresponsibility," wrote Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç.

"In our country, the separation of powers—legislative, executive, and judicial—is a fundamental principle. The judiciary does not take orders from anyone," the statement added.

İmamoğlu thanked global leaders and members of the European Parliament in a post on X and vowed to continue fighting for Turkey’s democracy.

"I stand resolute, entrusting myself not only to the 16 million residents of Istanbul but to the 86 million citizens of Türkiye and all who uphold democracy and justice worldwide. I stand firm in my fight for the fundamental rights and freedoms."

İmamoğlu, member of the secular Republican People’s Party (CHP), was elected mayor of Istanbul in 2019 and re-elected in 2023. In both elections, he defeated Erdoğan-backed AKP opponents. He was seen as the likely nominee of the CHP to face Erdoğan in the next presidential election scheduled for 2028, or sooner if elections are called early.

Authorities placed a ban on public demonstrations for four days in an attempt to quell any growing backlash to the arrests. Özgür Özel, chair of the CHP, Turkey’s main opposition party, addressed large demonstrations gathered in Istanbul and called for mass protest to oppose what the opposition sees as a flagrant violation of democratic norms.

In response to the arrest, Istanbul University annulled İmamoğlu's diploma, a move that would bar him from running for president, according to Turkish law, which requires the president to have a university degree. İmamoğlu said the act was beyond the university’s authority and a troubling sign of political interference in academia.

Soner Cagaptay, senior fellow at the Washington Institute, said in a post on X that Erdoğan was originally catapulted into political stardom as then-mayor of Istanbul in 1999 when he was imprisoned on charges of inciting religious hatred, only to see his popularity rise and become leader of Turkey since 2003.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday made comparisons between challenges being made by left-wing lawmakers to his power and efforts by officials to thwart President Donald Trump's agenda, saying the  "leftist Deep State" has weaponized the justice system against both of them. 

"In America and in Israel, when a strong right wing leader wins an election, the leftist Deep State weaponizes the justice system to thwart the people's will," Netanyahu's office wrote on X. "They won't win in either place!
We stand strong together."

WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP'S DEPORTATION EFFORTS?

The post appears to refer to a coalition of protestors and officials who are accusing the Israeli leader of continuing the war against Hamas for political reasons. Thousands demonstrated on Tuesday night and more protests were taking place on Wednesday after Netanyahu announced that he had lost confidence in Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet internal intelligence agency, and had decided to dismiss him, Reuters reported. 

Netanyahu also faced opposition before the war when he tried to fire then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over his opposition to a planned judicial overhaul.

Meanwhile, Trump is facing dozens of lawsuits over his plans to continue the mass deportation of illegal immigrant criminals and other initiatives, including a ban on transgender people serving in the military and a ban on birthright citizenship. 

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS NOON DEADLINE TO DISCLOSE DEPORTATION FLIGHT DETAILS AFTER JUDGE'S ORDER

Last week, federal Judge James E. Boasberg sought to temporarily block the removal of illegal alien Venezeulan citizens who belong to Tren de Aragua, which the administration previously designated as a foreign terrorist organization, under a wartime authority.

Trump and the White House have harshly criticized judges who have ruled against the administration.

"This Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator who was sadly appointed by Barack Hussein Obama, was not elected President - He didn’t WIN the popular VOTE (by a lot!), he didn’t WIN ALL SEVEN SWING STATES, he didn’t WIN 2,750 to 525 Counties, HE DIDN’T WIN ANYTHING! I WON FOR MANY REASONS, IN AN OVERWHELMING MANDATE, BUT FIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MAY HAVE BEEN THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR THIS HISTORIC VICTORY," Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. 

A Republican lawmaker introduced articles of impeachment against Boasberg, who is accused of abusing his power from the bench.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt scolded the federal judges during a news briefing. 

"They are trying to block, delay and impede. This is lawfare," she told Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich on Wednesday. "These partisan activists in the judicial branch didn't get the memo on Nov. 5 when the American people overwhelmingly re-elected this president to continue with mass deportations."

Pope Francis’s condition continued to improve Wednesday and he hasn't needed to use the noninvasive mechanical ventilation to help him breathe at night, the Vatican said.

The 88-year-old pontiff is also reducing his reliance on high-flow supplemental oxygen during the day, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin. His double pneumonia infection, while not completely eliminated, is under control, the Holy See press office said.

Francis celebrated Mass on Wednesday, which is an important feast day for the Catholic Church and is the anniversary of his installation as pope 12 years ago.

KING CHARLES III TO MEET POPE FRANCIS DURING VISIT TO VATICAN NEXT MONTH

Francis has been at Rome’s Gemelli hospital since Feb. 14 for a complex lung infection that turned into pneumonia in both lungs.

For two nights in a row, he hasn't needed to use the mechanical ventilation mask, and doctors said its use had been "suspended."

The Vatican is also again reducing its medical updates as Francis slowly continues his recovery, with the next one not expected before Monday.