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Hamas has turned over the bodies of four slain Israeli hostages more than 500 days after the terrorist group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel.

Hamas said the bodies would include Shiri Bibas and her two toddlers, Ariel and Kfir, as well as Oded Lifshitz, a retired journalist and activist. Their identities will be confirmed in Israel, which could take up to 48 hours.

At the time of their kidnapping, Shiri was 32 years old, Ariel was 4 years old and Kfir was 9 months old. Their father, Yarden, was also kidnapped by Hamas, but survived and was released on Feb. 1.

Lifshitz, a retired journalist and activist, was 83 years old when he and his then 85-year-old wife, Yocheved, were kidnapped from their home. She was released on Oct. 23, 2023.

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

The transfer took place in front of a large crowd near Khan Younis at around 9 a.m. local time on Thursday. The crowd was reportedly cheering when Hamas arrived carrying four black coffins in four separate cars.

"As the bodies of four Israeli hostages are transferred by Hamas to the Red Cross, hundreds of ‘innocent Gazans’ dance to music, and happily film this tragic event," Israel's Government Press Office wrote on X. "Speechless doesn’t begin to describe how this makes us feel."

The coffins were later transferred to a Red Cross car, which took them to Israeli forces inside the Gaza Strip.

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

Israeli President Issac Herzog said in a statement "there are no words" to describe the transfer that took place.

"Agony. Pain. There are no words. Our hearts — the hearts of an entire nation — lie in tatters," he wrote on X. "On behalf of the State of Israel, I bow my head and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness for not protecting you on that terrible day. Forgiveness for not bringing you home safely. May their memory be a blessing."

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

The next transfer is scheduled to take place on Saturday where Hamas will release six living hostages.

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

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

Two British nationals detained in Iran have been charged with espionage after they allegedly gathered information in different parts of the country, the Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency reported on Tuesday.

IRAN EXECUTES OVER 1K PRISONERS IN 2024, HIGHEST TOTAL IN 30 YEARS, REPORT SAYS

The two were named as Craig and Lindsay Foreman, and their family said on Saturday they were engaging with relevant authorities to ensure the pair's well-being and safe return home.

"The detained individuals entered the country as tourists and collected information in several provinces of the country," Mizan said, without giving further details. British media have said they are a married couple.

Mizan cited a judicial official as saying the two were connected to intelligence services and that investigations into the alleged links were ongoing.

The British Foreign Office said in a statement on Tuesday that it was deeply concerned by the reports, and that it continued to raise the case directly with Iranian authorities.

"We are providing them (the two British nationals) with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members," the Foreign Office added.

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of foreigners and dual nationals in recent years, mostly on espionage and security-related charges.

Human rights groups and some Western countries have accused Iran of trying to win concessions from other nations through arrests on security charges that may have been trumped up. Tehran denies such accusations.

Pope Francis showed a slight improvement while battling pneumonia on Wednesday and received a visit from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said he was "alert and responsive" and full of good humor as he battles a case of pneumonia.

Meloni said she wanted to wish Francis well on behalf of the Italian government and the nation. She spent 20 minutes with the pope, the Vatican said. 

"We joked around as always. He has not lost his proverbial sense of humor," she said in a statement.

POPE FRANCIS KICKS OFF HOLY YEAR AT VATICAN WITH OVER 32 MILLION VISITORS EXPECTED

Beyond his team, Meloni is the first outsider to visit Francis since he's been hospitalized at Rome's Gemelli hospital, where popes have their own suite on the 10th floor. 

Francis showed slight improvement Wednesday, the Vatican said. 

The clinical conditions of the Holy Father are stable, the Vatican said in a statement. "Blood tests, evaluated by the medical staff, show a slight improvement, in particular the inflammatory indices."

POPE FRANCIS INJURED AS VATICAN CONFIRMS 2ND FALL IN MATTER OF WEEKS

After breakfast, Francis read some newspapers and then devoted himself to work activities with his closest collaborators. Before lunch, he received the Eucharist. 

On Wednesday, Francis' vicar for Rome urged his followers to silently pray for an hour for the pope before evening vespers services. 

Some visitors to the hospital lit a candle in his honor.

"I think many people are disappointed but I think more importantly we really have to pray for his health," said Sister Charlene, a nun from Singapore who was in the piazza.

The pope is no stranger to health struggles. At the age of 21, he had part of his lung removed after developing pleurisy, which is an inflammation of the membranes that cushion the lungs.

Pope Francis has struggled with multiple health battles over the last few years, including surgeries in 2021 and 2023, as well as long-standing knee issues, which have resulted in his using a wheelchair.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The Israeli government has received confirmation on the identities of the deceased hostages due to be released from Gaza on Thursday.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters confirmed the names of Shiri Bibas and her two children, as well as Oded Lifshitz, a journalist and peace activist. All four were murdered while in Hamas custody.

"We received the heart-shattering news that Shiri Bibas, her children Ariel and Kfir, and Oded Lifshitz are no longer with us. This news cuts like a knife through our hearts, the families’ hearts and the hearts of people all over the world," the organization wrote.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed that they received the list of deceased hostages on Wednesday.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni visited Pope Francis in hospital Wednesday and reported he was "alert and responsive" and full of good humor, despite his diagnosis of pneumonia and a complicated bronchial infection that has sidelined the 88-year-old pontiff for six days.

Meloni said she wanted to bring get-well wishes to the pope on behalf of the government and the entire nation. "We joked around as always. He has not lost his proverbial sense of humor," she said in a statement issued by her office.

Meloni's visit marked the first confirmed outside visitor known to have called on the pope, beyond his secretaries and medical team, since his admission Friday at Rome's Gemelli hospital, where popes have their own suite on the 10th floor.

US CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS SUES TRUMP OVER IMMIGRATION, REFUGEE FUNDING FREEZE

The Vatican has said Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, was up, eating and had gotten out of bed after a tranquil night, a day after tests confirmed he had pneumonia in both lungs on top of asthmatic bronchitis.

On Wednesday, Francis' vicar for Rome urged all the faithful to devote an hour of silent prayer for the pope before evening vespers services, and pilgrims who had planned to attend his weekly general audience came to St. Peter's Square anyway to offer a prayer after it was canceled.

"I think many people are disappointed, but I think more importantly we really have to pray for his health," said Sister Charlene, a nun from Singapore who was in the piazza.

Francis was admitted to the Gemelli hospital on Friday after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened. On Monday, medical personnel determined that he was suffering from a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection, meaning a mix of viruses, bacteria and possibly other organisms had colonized his respiratory tract. Late Tuesday, the Vatican said a chest CT scan showed the onset of bilateral pneumonia on top of asthmatic bronchitis, which is being treated with cortisone and antibiotics.

Bronchitis can lead to pneumonia, which is a deeper and far more serious infection of the lungs’ air sacs. Pneumonia can develop in part or all of one lung or in both lungs. It tends to be more serious when both lungs are affected because there isn’t healthy tissue to compensate.

Treatment varies by severity but can include providing oxygen through a nasal tube or mask, intravenous fluids and treatment of the underlying cause of the infection. To date, Francis is breathing on his own and his heart function is said to be good. He has eaten breakfast every day, gotten out of bed, read the newspapers and done some work from his hospital room.

POPE FRANCIS SLEPT PEACEFULLY, ATE BREAKFAST FOLLOWING DIAGNOSIS OF PNEUMONIA IN BOTH LUNGS

"Pope Francis is a strong man who does not let difficulties get him down," said the Rev. Enzo Fortunato, who heads a new Vatican committee on children. The fact that Francis is keeping up with his ordinary routine, including receiving the Eucharist, "is a sign of a man who wants to experience the ordinariness of illness in the hospital."

The Vatican hasn't provided any information about how Francis is responding to any of the drugs he has been given other than to say he isn't running a fever. The Argentine pope, who has previously admitted to being a non-compliant patient, has a number of conditions that make him particularly at risk for complications: Aside from his age, he is not physically active and uses a wheelchair, limiting his ability to clear the fluids building up in his lungs.

Dr. Meredith McCormack, director of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University, said doctors will be looking to see if Francis responds to the therapy, which can include physiotherapy to help clear the lungs. Severe cases of pneumonia are typically treated for about one to two weeks, but recovery in an older person could extend beyond that.

"Lack of worsening would be an encouraging sign," said McCormack, who is not involved in Francis' care.

The Vatican has given no indication of how long the pope might remain hospitalized, only saying that the treatment of such a "complex clinical picture" would require an "adequate" stay.

Despite the less than positive news about Francis' condition, Francis was receiving get-well drawings and cards from children being treated in the hospital's oncology ward. And at the Vatican on Wednesday, Holy Year pilgrimages continued, with groups of faithful walking through the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica on a chilly and cloudy day.

"We are very happy to be here but we are also sad for the pope’s sickness," said Amparo Alcala’, who was leading a large group of pilgrims from Valencia, Spain. "He is doing great things, most of all for the women in the church, and this gives us a lot of joy. We are praying for his recovery and that he might come back, if this is God’s will."

A group of South Korean pilgrims in traditional costumes had planned to attend Francis' weekly Wednesday general audience and show off their national dress, as pilgrims often do for the pope's weekly appointment. When it was canceled, they came anyway.

"The Lunar New Year was very recent so we also wanted to bow traditionally and formally in front of him," said Junhee Christina Kim, a pilgrim from Seoul, South Korea. "It was too good of a chance to pass up, so we came anyway so that we can be in the Vatican in our traditional costumes."

EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump’s second term in office presents a historic chance to reverse the Biden administration’s failed Iran policies and prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, a new report from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) argues.

The report, titled "Detecting and Halting an Iranian Weaponization Effort," argues that the president should immediately muster the full weight of the U.S. national security establishment to confront this urgent threat.

"The president made the right call in re-imposing maximum pressure. Now, he needs to ensure Iran can't dash to nuclear weapons, drawing on the short timeline and technical know-how it possesses," Andrea Stricker, author of the FDD report, told Fox News Digital.

A WEAKENED IRAN HAS IRAQ LOOKING TO CURB TEHRAN-BACKED EXTREMISTS IN COUNTRY

"A nuclear-armed Iran would fundamentally upend security in the region and hinder the ability of the United States, Israel, and their partners to counter Tehran's aggression out of fear of nuclear escalation," she said.

Srickler believes President Trump absolutely cannot tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran and must use all instruments of American power to stop this.

The FDD report recommends that the administration and allies should re-establish the threat of credible military force to deter Iran from breaking the nuclear threshold and, along with Israel, be prepared to target Iranian nuclear sites.

"The United States or Israel should demonstrate their ability to eliminate any detected Iranian weaponization facilities and activities."

U.S. intelligence learned recently that a secret team of Iranian scientists are working on a short-cut to the country’s path to develop a nuclear weapon. The revelations come as Iran’s position in the region has significantly weakened as Tehran became embroiled in conflict with Israel after Oct. 7. 

TRUMP CALLS FOR 'NUCLEAR PEACE AGREEMENT' WITH IRAN RATHER THAN BLOWING COUNTRY 'TO SMITHEREENS'

Then-President Joe Biden allowed Tehran’s nuclear program to progress largely unimpeded, the report said, and Iran now likely has the capability and know-how to produce nuclear weapons. Although Iran may lack confidence in the functionality of certain components, it may be able to detonate a crude nuclear device within six months from starting. 

"An advancing Iranian weaponization capability, matched with Tehran’s enrichment of uranium to near-weapons-grade, limits the window of time in which the United States and its allies could intervene to stop an Iranian dash to nuclear weapons, known as a breakout," the report notes.

In a sign of the administration’s toughening position on Iran, Trump signed a memorandum reimposing the "maximum pressure" policy, a hallmark of his first term administration’s crippling sanctions on Tehran.

It is "in the national interest to impose maximum pressure on the Iranian regime to end its nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop its support for terrorist groups," the president’s executive order read.

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

Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, during his first term in 2018 and reapplied harsh economic sanctions. The Biden administration had initially looked at re-engaging with Iran on the nuclear issue upon taking office, but on-again-off-again talks went nowhere, complicated by Iran’s domestic politics and Iran’s role in supporting its terror groups in the region. 

Stricker says the clerical regime has an additional incentive to seek nuclear weapons to secure its hold on power with a more confrontational administration in Washington. It could also sprint for the bomb to bolster its offensive and defensive capabilities to deter further Israeli strikes against the regime itself, she warned.

In addition to the military threat, the report recommends the U.S. and Israel should cooperate on intelligence-related operations to detect and disrupt Iranian weaponization. It also suggests that the U.S. and Israel should work toward identifying key Iranian officials and nuclear scientists and to cultivate them as human intelligence sources. 

It additionally encourages the U.S. and other nations to urgently mobilize the International Atomic Energy Agency to strengthen inspections of weaponization activities in Iran.

A November 2024 report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said that Iran has enough fissile material to produce over a dozen nuclear weapons if it continues to enrich uranium. 

A top European Union official is warning President Donald Trump against letting Russian President Vladimir Putin succeed in dividing a decades-old alliance between the U.S. and Europe as Trump seeks to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. 

"It is clear that any deal on Ukraine that doesn’t involve Europe will fail," EU policy chief Kaja Kallas told Fox News Digital from South Africa. "Europe and the U.S. are stronger together, this is exactly why Putin is trying to divide us. 

"Let's not do him the favor," she added. 

UKRAINE'S ZELENSKYY SAYS TRUMP LIVES IN 'DISINFORMATION SPACE' AMID RIFT ON RUSSIA TALKS

Kallas' comments came after she held a call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of France, the U.K., Italy and Germany on Tuesday night to discuss the U.S. talks with Russian in Saudi Arabia, in which Washington agreed to re-establish diplomatic ties with Moscow through reopening embassies and re-engaging geopolitically and economically.  

Concern in Europe has been mounting over the Trump administration’s push to find a solution to end the war in Ukraine, as neither Kyiv nor any European official has yet been present for the discussions. 

"When they say ‘these are our plans for the end of the war,’ it raises questions for us," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters from Turkey on Wednesday following a meeting with Turkish President Recep Erdoğan. "Where are we at this negotiating table? This war is taking place inside Ukraine. Putin is killing Ukrainians, not Americans."

"We want a just peace, a lasting peace, a sustainable peace," he added.

While Rubio looked to set the record straight following the talks on Tuesday by agreeing that Ukraine, Europe and Russia will need to be involved in any ceasefire terms, some comments by Trump have prompted frustration in Kyiv and concern across Europe.

"We need American strength not concessions to end this war on Ukraine’s terms," Kallas told Fox News Digital. "Handing Ukrainian territory to Putin on a plate is a losing strategy."

RUBIO MAKES PROGRESS WITH RUSSIA AFTER TRUMP PROMISED TO BRING END TO WAR IN UKRAINE

Kallas, along with other European leaders, took issue this week when Trump said Ukraine needs to hold presidential elections – something that Ukraine constitutionally cannot do during a state of war.

"Elections in Ukraine are impossible amid Russia’s daily attacks, which have displaced millions of Ukrainians," Kallas said. "Let’s not forget Russia hasn’t held a free election in 25 years."

Kallas, who told Fox News Digital that she has submitted a proposal that would see EU nations ramp up military aid to Ukraine this year, argued, "Kyiv must be able to negotiate from a place of strength."

Reports indicated that European leaders were set to hold a second emergency summit on Ukraine in Paris on Wednesday after a smaller group of leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Denmark and the U.K. reportedly convened on Monday following the Munich Security Conference.

Despite concerns that Putin could be dividing the West, one former DIA intelligence officer and author of "Putin's Playbook," Rebekah Koffler, argued the Trump administration’s strategy on ending the war is not an indication the U.S. is abandoning its allies.

"The U.S. is not turning against Europe," she said. "NATO had 10 years, a decade to prepare for and deter this war."

"In the course of several years, my colleagues and I briefed senior military and intelligence officials of top European nations on the Russian threat. In vain," Koffler said, noting that she and her American intelligence colleagues warned European nations in 2013 ahead of Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014. "NATO ignored the threat for a decade and did not bother to develop a counter-strategy to Putin’s Playbook.

"Trump is handing over the responsibility for Europe’s protection to the Europeans," she added, noting the West was already divided given some NATO nations' failures to meet defense spending agreements. 

Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi is calling for global action to defeat the Islamic Republic’s regime. Pahlavi says the regime is "weaker than it has ever been" and the people of Iran are ready to take back their "stolen country."

Pahlavi spoke at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on Tuesday, highlighting the plight of the Iranian people, calling the country a "nation in chains," and the oppressive nature of the Islamic Republic regime headed by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

IRAN WARNS ISRAEL AND US 'CAN'T DO A DAMN THING' TO THWART TEHRAN NUCLEAR AMBITIONS AS TENSIONS ESCALATE

"The Iranian people have endured more than four decades of suffering, yet their spirit remains unbroken," Pahlavi said, becoming visibly emotional. "They are fighting not just for themselves but for the values of freedom, justice, and human dignity."

Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the crown prince’s father, saw his government fall in 1979, forcing his family to flee as Islamists took power. The crown prince lives in exile until this day, unable to return to his home country of Iran.

The strategy for rebuilding Iran that Pahlavi outlined in his speech included pressuring G20 governments to apply "maximum pressure" on the regime, while giving the Iranian people "maximum support."

In his impassioned call to action, Pahlavi spoke about those inside his home country who are fighting to remove the Islamic regime, particularly the Iranian women.

"Iranian women are not just fighting against the forced hijab. Their struggle is not about a piece of cloth. It is about reclaiming their equality and their country," Pahlavi said to the cheering crowd.

Throughout his address, Pahlavi repeatedly expressed his love for Iran and its culture, which he says the current regime is trying to erase.

"We are not just fighting against the Islamic Republic. We are fighting for Iran," Pahlavi said.

STUDENTS IN IRAN CONTINUE PROTESTS OVER 19-YEAR-OLD’S MURDER ON CAMPUS FOR SECOND DAY

Pahlavi also slammed the Islamic Republic’s use of embassies and cultural centers to target dissidents abroad. This tactic was thrust into the spotlight with the regime’s alleged targeting of President Donald Trump and its plot to kill New York-based Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad, a fierce critic of the regime in Teheran.

"Whatever I do, it seems that hurts the Islamic Republic very bad, and that's why they want me dead," Alinejad said during an appearance on "The Story" in November 2024. "I don't want to die. I want to fight against tyranny. I want to fight against this regime, and I want to be alive to see the end of this regime."

Upon Trump’s inauguration, Pahlavi wrote a letter to the president asking him to facilitate what he calls the "Cyrus Accords." Pahlavi believes Trump can "transform the Middle East and the world" through a new agreement similar to the Abraham Accords, except the Cyrus Accords would include a "free Iran."

The Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, where Pahlavi spoke on Tuesday, is held annually around the time of the UN Human Rights Council session. Dissidents, activists and more are given a platform at the summit to speak against human rights abuses and undemocratic practices taking place across the globe.

Marine experts have given up hope of rescuing more than 150 false killer whales that stranded on a remote beach on Australia’s island state of Tasmania, officials said on Wednesday.

Experts including veterinarians were at the scene near the Arthur River on Tasmania’s northwestern coast where 157 whales were discovered on an exposed surf beach on Tuesday afternoon, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment said.

Unfavorable ocean and weather conditions, which prevented the whales from being rescued on Wednesday, were forecast to persist for days, incident controller Shelley Graham said.

'I THOUGHT I WAS DEAD': KAYAKER GETS SWALLOWED BY HUMPBACK WHALE IN DRAMATIC MOMENT CAUGHT ON CAMERA

"We have been out in the water this morning and have relocated and attempted to refloat two whales but didn’t have success as the ocean conditions weren’t allowing the animals to get past the break. The animals are continuously restranding," Graham said in a statement.

Marine biologist Kris Carlyon said the survivors would be euthanized.

"The longer these animals are out stranded, the longer they are suffering. All alternative options have been unsuccessful," Carlyon said.

The department said there were 136 survivors on Wednesday morning but that assessment was revised down to 90 within a few hours.

The inaccessibility of the beach, ocean conditions and challenges to getting specialist equipment to the remote area complicated the response.

The young whales weighed as little as 1,100 pounds, while the adults weighed 3.3 tons. Despite their name, false killer whales are one of the largest members of the dolphin family.

Department liaison officer Brendon Clark said the stranding was the first by false killer whales in Tasmania since 1974. That was a pod of more than 160 whales that landed on a beach near Stanley on the northwest coast. Strandings in Tasmania are usually pilot whales.

Clark declined to speculate on why the latest pod might have stranded. Carcasses of dead whales would be examined for clues, he said.

A helicopter reconnaissance on Tuesday afternoon determined that there were no other whales within 6 miles of the stranded pod, he said.

Some could have been stranded for as long as 48 hours by early Wednesday.

Arthur River resident Jocelyn Flint said her son had discovered the stranded whales around midnight while fishing for shark.

She said she had gone to the scene in the dark hours of the morning and returned after dawn, but the whales were too big to be refloated.

"The water was surging right up and they were thrashing. They’re just dying, they’ve sunk down in the sand," Flint said Wednesday morning. "I think it’s too late.

"There are little babies. Up one end, there’s a lot of big ones. It’s sad," she added.

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In 2022, 230 pilot whales stranded further south on the west coast at Macquarie Harbor.

The largest mass stranding in Australian history occurred in the same harbor in 2020 when 470 long-finned pilot whales became stuck on sandbars. Most of the beached whales died on both occasions.

The reasons for the beachings are unclear. Reasons could include disorientation caused by loud noises, illness, old age, injury, fleeing predators and severe weather.

Pope Francis slept well and ate breakfast on Wednesday morning after he was diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs, according to the Vatican.

Matteo Bruni, a spokesperson for the Vatican, said Francis had a peaceful fifth night in Rome's Gemelli hospital.

"He had a tranquil night, woke up and had breakfast," the spokesperson said.

The Vatican said Tuesday that Francis, who had the upper lobe of his right lung removed when he was young, had been diagnosed with pneumonia in both his lungs and that laboratory tests, chest X-ray and the pope's clinical condition "continue to present a complex picture."

POPE FRANCIS DIAGNOSED WITH BILATERAL PNEUMONIA, VATICAN SAYS

"The polymicrobial infection, which arose on a picture of bronchiectasis and asmatiform bronchitis, and which required the use of antibiotic cortisone therapy, makes the therapeutic treatment more complex," the Vatican said Tuesday.

"The chest CT scan that the Holy Father underwent this afternoon… demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumonia that required further pharmacological therapy," it continued.

But the Vatican said Wednesday that the pope remains in good spirits and is grateful for the prayers for his recovery.

On Friday, Francis, 88, was admitted to the hospital in "fair" condition after a week of bronchitis worsened. On Monday, the hospital determined that he was suffering from a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection, which means that a mix of viruses, bacteria and possibly other organisms had colonized in his respiratory tract.

"The follow-up chest CT scan which the Holy Father underwent this afternoon ... demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumonia, which required additional drug therapy," Bruni said.

Bronchitis can lead to pneumonia, a deeper and far more serious infection of the lungs’ air sacs. Pneumonia can develop in part of or the entirety of one lung or both lungs, and it is typically more serious when both lungs are affected, because there is insufficient healthy lung tissue to compensate.

Treatment may vary but can include providing oxygen through a nasal tube or mask, intravenous fluids and treatment of the underlying cause of the infection.

Francis is not believed to be using supplemental oxygen. He has eaten breakfast every day, read the newspapers and done some work from his hospital room.

POPE FRANCIS WILL REMAIN IN HOSPITAL, VATICAN SAYS

The Vatican also said Francis was not running a fever, which Carmelo D’Asero, an infectious disease and geriatric disease expert in Rome, said was not necessarily a positive thing due to the seriousness of his infection.

"A high fever is a sign of an immune response to a pathogen," D’Asero said. "Having a low fever and having a serious bronchial infection ... is a sign of a decreased immune response and that makes us worry a little bit more, let’s say. Maybe if he had a fever, it would have been better."

The Vatican has not said how long the pope might remain in the hospital, saying only that the treatment of such a "complex clinical picture," would require an "adequate" stay.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brazil’s prosecutor-general on Tuesday filed charges against former President Jair Bolsonaro for attempting a coup to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat.

Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet alleges that Bolsonaro and 33 others participated in plan to remain in power despite losing to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

BRAZIL’S FORMER PRESIDENT BOLSONARO AND AIDES INDICTED FOR ALLEGED 2022 COUP ATTEMPT

Last November, Federal Police filed a 884-page report with Gonet detailing the scheme. They allege it involved systematically sowing distrust of the electoral system among the populace, drafting a decree to give the plot a veneer of legality, pressuring top military brass to go along with the plan, and inciting a riot in the capital.

The Supreme Court will analyze the charges and, if accepted, Bolsonaro will stand trial.

The far-right leader denies wrongdoing. "I have no concerns about the accusations, zero," Bolsonaro told journalists earlier on Tuesday during a visit to the Senate in Brasilia.

"Have you seen the coup decree, by any chance? You haven’t. Neither have I," he added.

A lawyer for Bolsonaro did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A Chinese navy helicopter flew within 10 feet (3 meters) of a Philippine patrol plane on Tuesday in a disputed area of the South China Sea, prompting the Filipino pilot to warn by radio: "You are flying too close, you are very dangerous."

The Chinese helicopter was attempting to force a Cessna Caravan turboprop plane belonging to the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources out of what China claims is its airspace over the hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal off the northwestern Philippines.

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

An Associated Press journalist and other invited foreign media on the plane witnessed the tense 30-minute standoff as the Philippine plane pressed on with its low-altitude patrol around Scarborough with the Chinese navy helicopter hovering close above it or flying to its left in cloudy weather.

"You are flying too close, you are very dangerous and endangering the lives of our crew and passengers," the Philippine pilot told the Chinese navy helicopter by radio at one point. "Keep away and distance your aircraft from us, you are violating the safety standard set by FAA and ICAO."

The pilot was referring to the standard distance between aircraft required by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the International Civil Aviation Organization to prevent air disasters.

There was no sign that the Philippine plane had to alter its planned path and altitude to avoid a collision.

The Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries said in a statement that they remain "committed to asserting our sovereignty, sovereign rights and maritime jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea, despite the aggressive and escalatory actions of China."

They referred to the Philippine name for the stretch of waters in the South China Sea closer to the Philippines’ western coast.

The Chinese military, referring to Scarborough Shoal by its Chinese name, said the plane had "illegally entered the airspace of China’s Huangyan Island without the Chinese government’s permission."

The Chinese Southern Theater Command organized naval and air forces to track and warn the plane away, Senior Col. Tian Junli, spokesperson for the command, said in a written statement posted online.

The Philippines "confused right and wrong and spread false narratives," the statement said.

Tuesday's encounter, which is expected to be protested by the Philippine government, is the latest flashpoint in a decades-long territorial standoff in one of the world’s busiest trade routes, which involves China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan .

Confrontations on the high seas have spiked between Chinese and Philippine coast guards in the last two years at Scarborough and Second Thomas Shoal, where a grounded Philippine navy ship has served as a military territorial outpost since 1999 but has since been closely surrounded by Chinese coast guard, navy and other ships.

China deployed its naval force around Scarborough after a tense standoff with Philippine ships in 2012.

The following year, the Philippines brought its disputes with China to international arbitration. A 2016 decision by a United Nations-backed arbitration panel invalidated China’s expansive claim in the South China Sea based on the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

China, a signatory to the UNCLOS like the Philippines, refused to participate in the arbitration, rejected its outcome and continues to defy it.

Faced by China's military might, the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has resorted to a shame campaign — embedding Philippine and foreign journalists in its sea and air patrols in a bid to expose Beijing's increasingly assertive actions.

The Philippines has also been strengthening its security alliances with the United States, Japan, Australian, France, Canada, the European Union and other Western countries to shore up its external defense.

The United States says it's obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea. China has warned the U.S. and its allies not to meddle in what it calls a purely Asian dispute.

The U.S. and Russia on Tuesday took steps to improve diplomatic ties after Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with top officials from Moscow in a move to find an end to the war in Ukraine. 

Speaking to reporters following the 4.5-hour meeting held in Saudi Arabia between Rubio and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, the secretary of state said the first move would be in reestablishing the "functionality of our respective missions in Washington and in Moscow."

"For us to be able to continue to move down this road, we need to have diplomatic facilities that are operating and functioning normally," Rubio said. 

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

Rubio said there were three additional steps the U.S. planned to pursue, which included establishing a "high-level team" to help negotiate the end of the war in Ukraine – though he did not mention if this would be headed by the special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. General Keith Kellogg.

The Trump administration will also be looking to expand geopolitical and economic relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. 

Rubio did not go into detail on how or when the U.S. would agree to lift the heavy sanctions put on Russia following its illegal invasion, but said that at some point "the European Union (EU) is going to have to be at the table" because they too have strict sanctions in place.   

Concerns over EU involvement in negotiating a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia have been mounting as the Trump administration increasingly takes on Moscow. 

Reporters questioned Kellogg about EU involvement following the Munich Security Conference that concluded Monday, but he would not confirm whether an EU representative will be officially included at any negotiations, despite direct concerns over European security. 

Rubio responded to questions regarding concerns that the EU and Ukraine are being abandoned by the Trump administration and said, "No one is being sidelined here."

PEACE TALKS: TRUMP TEAM WORKS TO END UKRAINE WAR AS EUROPEAN LEADERS MEET 

"But President Trump is in a position – that he campaigned on – to initiate a process that could bring about an end to this conflict, and from that could emerge some very positive things for the United States, for Europe, for Ukraine, for the world," the secretary said. 

Rubio confirmed the final agreement to come out of the lengthy meeting on Tuesday was that the five men involved in the meeting – which included Rubio and Lavrov, as well as Trump’s national security advisor, Michael Waltz, special Mideast envoy Steven Witkoff and Putin’s foreign affairs advisor, Yuri Ushakov – would remain "engaged" to ensure negotiations continue to progress in a "productive way."

Neither the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy nor the EU immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s questions regarding their reactions to the day’s meeting.

Zelenskyy, who was supposed to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, canceled his trip on Tuesday, which according to a Reuters report, was a move to counter any "legitimacy" of the U.S.-Russia talks that were held without a Ukrainian delegation. 

Kellogg’s team confirmed for Fox News Digital that he is set to meet with Zelenskyy this week during his trip to Kyiv. 

Zelenskyy, like some EU leaders, has said he will not accept any ceasefire negotiations that are not made through coordinated efforts with Kyiv. 

"Ukraine and Europe – in the broad sense, including the European Union, Turkey and the United Kingdom – must be involved in discussions and the development of necessary security guarantees together with the United States, as these decisions shape the future of our part of the world," he said in an address following a meeting with Turkish President Reccep Erdoğan on Tuesday.

Reports on Tuesday also indicated that European leaders were looking to reconvene at a "second emergency Ukraine summit" to discuss Ukraine and Europe’s security.

The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's questions. 

Amnesty International is urging French lawmakers to reject a bill this week that would ban headscarves in all sporting competitions.

The bill is backed by right-wing senators and will be debated from Tuesday in the upper house of the French parliament. Its aim is to ban all "ostensibly religious" clothing and symbols during competitions. Amnesty International says the move would be discriminatory.

The vote is likely to refuel the lingering debate on secularism — still volatile more than a century after the 1905 law on separation of church and state that established it as a principle of the French Republic.

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Until now, sporting federations have been free to decide whether or not to allow headscarves, with two of the country’s most powerful sports, soccer and rugby, opting to ban them.

The bill is at an early stage and this week's vote marks the beginning of a long legislative process with an uncertain outcome. Even if senators vote in favor, the bill's future will remain unclear since the lower house has the final say.

To pass, the bill would need a coalition of forces that don't usually collaborate in the deeply divided lower house.

Amnesty International's calls come after French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla said last summer she was barred from the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics because she wears a hijab. She was eventually allowed to take part, wearing a cap to cover her hair.

France enforces a strict principle of "laïcité," loosely translated as "secularism." At the Games, the president of the French Olympic Committee said its Olympians were bound by the secular principles that apply to public sector workers in the country, which include a ban on hijabs and other religious signs.

"At the Paris Olympics, France’s ban on French women athletes who wear headscarves from competing at the Games drew international outrage," said Anna Błuś, an Amnesty International researcher on gender justice.

"Just six months on, French authorities are not only doubling down on the discriminatory hijab ban but are attempting to extend it to all sports."

Experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council have previously criticized the decision by the French soccer and basketball federations to exclude players wearing the hijab, and the French government’s decision to prevent its athletes wearing headscarves from representing the country at the Paris Games.

Amnesty International said the bill in reality targets Muslim women and girls by excluding them from sporting competitions if they wear a headscarf or other religious clothing.

"Laïcité...which is theoretically embedded in the French constitution to protect everyone’s religious freedom, has often been used as a pretext to block Muslim women’s access to public spaces in France," Amnesty International said.

"Over several years, the French authorities have enacted laws and policies to regulate Muslim women’s and girls’ clothing, in discriminatory ways. Sport federations have followed suit, imposing hijab bans in several sports."

Two years ago, France’s highest administrative court said the country’s soccer federation was entitled to ban headscarves in competitions even though the measure can limit freedom of expression.

Wielding the principle of religious neutrality enshrined in the constitution, the country’s soccer federation also does not make things easy for international players who want to refrain from drinking or eating from dawn to sunset during Ramadan, an Islamic holy month.

Supporters of the bill cite growing attacks on secularism in sport, arguing that its core values are based on a principle of universality. To protect sports grounds from any non-sporting confrontation, they say, a principle of neutrality needs to be implemented to ensure that no political, religious or racial demonstration or propaganda can be promoted.

The bill also states that using part of a sports facility as a place of worship would be a misuse of its purpose, and bans the wearing of religious clothing, such as the burkini, in public swimming pools.

"By placing the wearing of a headscarf on the spectrum of "attacks on secularism," which range from "permissiveness" to "terrorism," this legislation, if passed, would fuel racism and reinforce the growing hostile environment facing Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim in France," Amnesty International said.

Pope Francis has been diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia in both lungs but was in a good mood, the Vatican said Tuesday. 

"The laboratory tests, the chest X-ray and the clinical conditions of the Holy Father continue to present a complex picture," a Vatican statement said. 

This story is breaking. Please check back for updates. 

The Trump administration’s pause of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding may leave the door open for China to spread its influence, and Beijing is not wasting time trying to fill in the gaps.

A former USAID official, who spoke with Fox News Digital under the condition of anonymity, said that whereas the U.S. stepped down, China has "immediately" stepped in.

"We’ve just seen news reporting coming out of Nepal, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, documenting directly that where USAID programs have ended that the People’s Republic of China has told these governments that it will step in and become the partner for these governments to continue that work," a former USAID official told Fox News Digital.

FORMER USAID ADMINISTRATOR SAYS AGENCY SHOULD STAY WITH CONSERVATIVE HEAD

China has already stepped up its funding to Cambodia's largest demining organization, the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), in the absence of U.S. funds, according to Reuters. As it seeks increased influence, Beijing pledged $4.4 million to CMAC, more than double the $2 million it received from the U.S. last year, the outlet added.

Additionally, China is also watching the funding freeze’s impact on Nepal, the Annapurna Express reports. While China is already sending funds to Nepal, it is reportedly increasing its financial support in various areas.

The former USAID official emphasized that "by removing these [USAID] programs it adds one more reason for many of these partners to now not see the United States as a partner who shares their priorities of investing in the people of their countries."

TOP FEDERAL AGENCY EXPOSED FOR SPENDING BILLIONS ON MIGRANTS IN A SINGLE YEAR

While there are several populations around the globe feeling the impact of the Trump administration’s funding freeze, the situation is particularly treacherous for women.

During President Donald Trump’s first term in office, his daughter, Ivanka, played a key role in launching the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP). At the time, the White House said the program was aimed at advancing women’s economic empowerment.

Lilian Achom, who is based in Uganda, participated in USAID W-GDP Fund programming and was present when Trump launched the W-GDP. Now, she fears that women grappling with HIV/AIDS, many of whom are widows trying to raise children.

When speaking to Fox News Digital, Achom said Trump needs to "think about the underprivileged deep down in northern Uganda. The underprivileged, the children, the women who are currently suffering."

Achom recalled meeting Ivanka Trump and spoke highly of the president’s daughter, saying that she was "inspired" by her.

"I saw in her someone who was really, really interested in women’s empowerment, economic development and digital inclusion for women around the world," Achom said of Ivanka.

The former USAID official who spoke with Fox News Digital said that the funding freeze is "impacting potentially every aspect of the lives of women and girls who were benefiting from USAID programs." The official added that while China is already trying to fill certain voids left by the U.S., it’s unclear whether they will fund programs focused on women.

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The White House has accused USAID of funding "the ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats."

Among the areas of "waste and abuse" highlighted by the White House are $2.5 million for electric vehicles for Vietnam, $1.5 million to "advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities," and $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt.

The State Department did not respond to a Fox News request for comment.

The U.N. human rights chief accused Rwanda-backed rebels who seized a second major city in eastern Congo of killing children and attacking hospitals and warehouses storing humanitarian aid.

Volker Türk said in a statement Tuesday that his office "confirmed cases of summary execution of children by M23 after they entered the city of Bukavu last week. We are also aware that children were in possession of weapons."

13 UN PEACEKEEPERS, ALLIED SOLDIERS DEAD IN CONGO AS M23 REBELS MAKE GAINS IN KEY CITY

He provided no details or did not refer to specific events, but U.N. agencies have previously accused both Congolese government forces and the rebels of recruiting children. The United Nations Human Rights Council earlier this month launched a commission that will investigate atrocities, including rapes and killings akin to "summary executions" committed by both sides since the beginning of the year.

The M23 rebels on Sunday captured Bukavu, the city of 1.3 million people, after seizing Goma, 63 miles to the north last month. At least 3,000 were reported killed and thousands displaced in the Goma fighting.

The M23 is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control of eastern Congo’s trillions of dollars in mineral wealth that’s critical for much of the world’s technology. The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to U.N. experts.

Rwanda accuses Congo of enlisting Hutu fighters responsible for the 1994 genocide of minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus. M23 says it's fighting to protect Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan origin from discrimination and wants to transform Congo from a failed into a modern state — though critics say it's a pretext for Rwanda's involvement.

Unlike in 2012, when the M23 briefly seized Goma and withdrew after international pressure, analysts have said the rebels this time are eyeing political power.

The decades-long fighting has displaced more than 6 million people in the region, creating the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

A Ugandan military official said Tuesday that Ugandan troops had entered the eastern Congolese city of Bunia to assist the Congolese army in quelling deadly violence by armed ethnic groups.

North Korea on Tuesday vowed to expand its nuclear forces under Kim Jong Un and criticized the U.S. and its neighbors in Asia for pushing a denuclearization plan against the authoritarian regime.

North Korea's foreign ministry denounced the joint pledge between the U.S., South Korea and Japan as an "outdated, absurd plan" and warned of "overwhelming and decisive counteraction" against its rivals who threaten its security.

"As long as the U.S. and its vassal forces' hostile threat exists, the DPRK's nukes are means for defending peace and sovereignty and a means for legitimate self-defense entrusted by the constitution of the state," an unnamed ministry spokesperson said in a statement picked up by the North's Korean Central News Agency, Reuters reported.

The criticism comes after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi met during a security conference in Germany and reaffirmed their commitment to the Hermit Kingdom’s "complete denuclearization" and maintaining sanctions on the country’s weapons program.

TRUMP MUST NOT REPEAT HIS KIM JONG UN MISTAKE WITH IRAN, SECURITY EXPERT WARNS

The countries also agreed to bolster defense and deterrence, including by expanding three-way military exercises and strengthening Japan and South Korea's military capabilities, according to a joint statement released after the meeting.

President Donald Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House earlier this month and said the U.S. will have relations with the North Korean regime of dictator Kim Jong Un.

NORTH KOREA SLAMS RUBIO'S ‘ROGUE STATE’ LABEL AS ‘NONSENSE,’ VOWS TO PUSH BACK AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

"We will have relations with North Korea, with Kim Jong Un. I get along with them very well," Trump told reporters alongside Ishiba.

Trump, who first met Kim in 2018 in Singapore and became the first sitting president to meet with the leader of North Korea, is looking to build off his personal diplomacy he established with Kim during his first term. 

Trump met Kim again in 2019 and became the first president to step foot inside North Korean territory from the demilitarized zone.

Fox News Digital's Chris Massaro and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The dramatic, upside-down Delta plane crash at Toronto’s Pearson Airport marked the fourth major aviation disaster in North America in the last month. 

The Federal Aviation Administration said all 80 people aboard the jet were evacuated, as images showed the aircraft with a shewn off tail and wing belly up in the snow at Toronto's airport. 

The CRJ-900, which departed from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, overturned while coming in for a landing in Toronto. High winds and drifting snow reportedly had already prompted flight delays and cancelations at the airport. 

Air traffic control audio released after the crash depicts officials describing how the plane was "ups-side-down and burning" on the tarmac.

TORONTO PLANE CRASH TIMELINE: DELTA FLIGHT FROM MINNEAPOLIS FLIPS UPSIDE DOWN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND

Delta Air Lines said "18 customers with injuries" had been transported to area hospitals. At least three people suffered critical but not life-threatening injuries, a spokesperson for the paramedic service that was on scene told Fox News Digital. 

In the airline's most recent update, which was provided at 10:33 p.m. ET, Delta Air Lines said that "no fatalities have been reported and some of the customers initially transported to area hospitals have been released." 

Two patients were taken by air ambulance to two different trauma centers – Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and St. Michael’s Hospital – in Toronto. A child, about four years old, was transported to The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, as officials are expected to provide an update to the media early Tuesday. 

"The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates," the FAA said.

Delta said its incident response team deployed to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) Monday evening, "to support efforts surrounding Delta Connection flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, that was involved in a single-aircraft accident at YYZ around 2:15 p.m. ET." The team is said to include "specially trained Delta Care Team representatives who will provide support for customers and their loved ones." 

"Members of Endeavor Air’s leadership team, including CEO Jim Graham, are also en route to ensure full cooperation with investigators," Delta said Monday night. 

"The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those affected by today’s incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement. "I want to express my thanks to the many Delta and Endeavor team members and the first responders on site. We are working to confirm the details and will share the most current information on news.delta.com as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, please take care and stay safe."

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In a Monday afternoon X post, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the former Democratic vice presidential candidate, said he was "in touch with Delta after a flight taking off from MSP crash landed in Toronto this afternoon." 

"Grateful to the first responders and professionals on the scene," he wrote. 

"Thinking of those on the Delta flight that left Minneapolis and crash landed in Toronto," Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., wrote. "Thankful for all the first responders and those on the plane who worked to get everyone to safety and those injured to care. We must get to the bottom of what happened." 

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., said she and her staff "are closely monitoring this situation and gathering information." 

"Thank you to all the emergency response teams helping. My thoughts are with everyone on board and their loved ones," Smith wrote on X. 

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said he and his wife "are praying for the passengers and crew who were aboard Flight 4819 and are pleased to see initial reports that no lives have been lost." 

Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., said she was "closely monitoring the situation in Toronto and keeping all those on board in my thoughts." 

"I am praying for those involved and will continue to monitor this situation as details emerge," Rep. Pete Stauber, R- Minn., said. "I am incredibly grateful for the quick response of the first responders on the ground!" 

The Trump administration has promised a thorough review and update of air traffic control systems nationwide after a midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight about to land at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport on Jan. 29 killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft. It was the United States' deadliest aviation disaster since 2001. 

Other recent aviation disasters in North America include a small commuter plane on its way to Nome, Alaska, that crashed on Feb. 6, killing the pilot and nine passengers. Additionally, a medical transport jet with a child patient, her mother and four others aboard crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood on Jan. 31, exploding in a fireball that engulfed several homes. 

Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump congratulated U.S. forces following an airstrike over the weekend that targeted an official of Hurras al-Din, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, in Syria.

"US forces conducted a precision airstrike against a member of al-Qaeda in Syria this weekend," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "The terrorist leader was working with al-Qaeda across the region."

"Congratulations to CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla, and the US warfighters who dealt Justice to another Jihadi threatening America and our allies and partners," he continued.

AUSTRIA STABBING SUSPECT IS SYRIAN MIGRANT WHO PLEDGED ALLEGIANCE TO ISLAMIC STATE, OFFICIALS SAY

On Saturday, U.S. forces "conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria targeting and killing a senior finance and logistics official in the terrorist organization Hurras al-Din (HaD), an Al-Qaeda affiliate," U.S. Central Command said in a press release.

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

"We will continue to relentlessly pursue terrorists in order to defend our homeland, and U.S., allied, and partner personnel in the region," Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement.

Hurras al-Din was formed in 2018 after the Nusrah Front terror group broke off from Al-Qaeda. The group operates primarily in Syria’s Idlib Province and could have as many as 2,500 members, according to the National Counterterrorism Center.

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The center said Hurras al-Din "advocates attacks against the West and Israel to expel foreign influence from Muslim lands, and it seeks to set the conditions necessary to form a new caliphate across the Levant and the broader Middle East."

"Hurras al-Din maintains access to several longtime al-Qa‘ida members who could enable the group to pose a threat to US and other Western interests outside of Syria, despite its weakened state following successive personnel losses since 2019 that have removed many of the group’s veteran leaders," the center said.