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EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee stressed the importance of acknowledging the Jewish people's historic connection to the Land of Israel, describing global efforts to deny this link as "absurd."

"First of all, archeology is a daily reminder of the connection between this land and the Jewish people going all the way back to 3,500 to 3,800 years, whether it’s Shilo, whether it's Jerusalem," Huckabee told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview in Jerusalem on Thursday.

His comments came as Jews worldwide celebrate Shavuot, the biblical holiday commemorating God's giving of the Torah to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai.

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Huckabee pointed to archaeological evidence as strong support for the biblical account. "The excavations at the City of David alone are a validation of the biblical record of what really did happen here. Sometimes people on the far-left love to say 'follow the science, follow the science,' and I would say to them, as it relates to the land and the connections to the Jewish people, follow the science of archaeology."

The remarks come amid an ongoing diplomatic war by the Palestinian Authority — which was granted non-member observer state status at the United Nations in 2012 — to revise historical narratives in international forums where anti-Israel majorities are common.

For example, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2016 registered the Cave of the Patriarchs — the burial site of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives Sarah, Rebecca and Leah, located in Hebron—under the name of the "State of Palestine" on its "List of World Heritage in Danger."

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In a separate move, the U.N. General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution in 2021 referring to the Temple Mount — Judaism’s holiest site, located in Jerusalem but beyond the 1967 borders — solely by its Islamic name, "Haram al-Sharif."

"For 20 years, I have been pushing back against an effort from the PA, Hamas, European-funded anti-Israel NGOs, and the U.N. to try and prevent excavations from coming to life," said Doron Spielman, author of the new book "When the Stones Speak: The Remarkable Discovery of the City of David and What Israel's Enemies Don't Want You to Know," a book that shows the historical and indigenous connection to the Holy Land of the Jews.

"There are thousands of discoveries that prove the connection of the Jewish people to the biblical heartland, but in particular the clay seal impressions of Yehuchal—the son of Shelemiah—and Gedaliah—the son of Pashur—that were found at the site believed to be King David’s palace," explained Spielman. "They are directly quoted in the Bible as having attempted to kill the prophet Jeremiah."

In 2008, Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar revealed the discovery of a clay seal impression, or bulla, bearing the name Gedaliah, son of Pashhur. The artifact was unearthed during a dig in the City of David, located just south of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The bulla was found close to where, in 2005, a similar seal inscribed with the name Yehuchal had been discovered.

Both individuals are known from the bible as officials who served under King Zedekiah, the final monarch of the Kingdom of Judah before the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple in 587 B.C.

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"The bullas can be seen, they are on display at the Israel Museum and in traveling exhibitions. They have gone from one side of the world to the other because the Palestinians created a narrative attempting to erase any connection between Jews, and by extension Christians, to the Land of Israel," continued Spielman.

Huckabee emphasized that archaeological discoveries continue to affirm the scriptural narrative connecting the Jewish people to the land.

"Every time some new discovery is unearthed it validates the biblical record, so the proof is pretty strong that that connection is not something that goes back to 1948 or 1917 the Balfour Declaration - it goes all the way back to the time of Abraham. That’s pretty far back," he said.

For his part, Spielman voiced concern that the message isn’t resonating with the mainstream, particularly among younger generations.

"On campuses in the U.S., people are chanting 'From the River to the Sea,' and calling the Jews colonizers," he said, in reference to the mantra calling for the "liberation" of "Palestine" through the elimination of Israel.

"This expression comes from people taught to believe that the Jews have no connection to the Land of Israel, and I’m fearful because it leads to violence. When people come to erase your history, they are on their way to trying to erase you as a nation.

"We have seen it before and if we do not stop the trend, it will happen again," he added.

A naturalized U.S. citizen who pleaded guilty to receiving military training from the Islamic State in Syria was sentenced on Monday to 10 years in federal prison.

Lirim Sylejmani, 49, who was born in Kosovo and moved to Chicago about 25 years ago, engaged in at least one battle against U.S.-led coalition forces after he entered Syria a decade ago, according to prosecutors.

U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington, D.C., handed down Sylejmani's prison sentence, which will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

Sylejmani pleaded guilty in December to one count of receiving military training from a foreign terrorist organization.

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"This defendant will spend a decade in prison thinking about the betrayal to this country," wrote the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, also a former Fox News host.

"Anyone thinking that ISIS is the answer to their questions, best think again," she continued. "We will go to any lengths to root out subversive individuals who want to overthrow the government and harm its citizens."

In November 2015, Sylejmani and his family flew to Turkey before crossing the border into Syria, where he received training with other ISIS recruits until February 2019, when he was captured with his family by Syrian forces in Baghouz, Syria, according to prosecutors.

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His military training included instruction on how to assemble and fire an AK-47 rifle, as well as how to use a PK Machine gun, M-16 rifle and grenades.

Sylejmani was also once injured in a battle with Syrian forces in June 2016.

Prosecutors said Sylejmani, who adopted the name Abu Sulayman al-Kosovi, pledged "bayat," or allegiance, to ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi and to the ISIS organization in front of an Iraqi ISIS member.

He was transferred to the U.S. in September 2020 to face criminal charges in Washington, D.C.

"The conduct is far more than a single, impulsive act. He chose to jeopardize the safety of his family by bringing them to a war-torn country to join and take up arms for ISIS," prosecutors wrote.

Sylejmani's attorneys claim he is not a "committed jihadist" and does not espouse violence.

"He is guilt-ridden for his actions and the harm he has visited on his family, who remain detained in a refugee camp in Syria living under terrible conditions," his lawyers wrote. "He wishes only to complete his time and find his wife and children, so he can live an average law-abiding life with them."

Millions of South Korean voters are casting their ballots on Tuesday for a new president in a snap election following the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Yoon, a conservative, faces trial on rebellion charges over his short-lived martial law declaration in December.

Pre-election surveys suggested Lee Jae-myung, Yoon’s liberal archrival, appeared poised to coast to victory due to public frustration over the conservatives in the wake of Yoon’s martial law decree.

The main conservative candidate, Kim Moon Soo, has struggled to win over moderate swing voters, as his People Power Party grapples with internal feuding over how to view Yoon’s actions.

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Over the past six months, large crowds of people rallied in the streets to either protest against Yoon or come to his support.

The winner of the election will immediately be sworn in as president on Wednesday for a single, full five-year term without the typical two-month transition period. The new president will face significant challenges, including a slowing economy, U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and North Korea’s nuclear threats.

Voting began at 6 a.m. at more than 14,000 polling stations nationwide. Polls will close at 8 p.m., and observers say a winner could be declared as early as midnight.

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As of 2 p.m. local time, more than 13 million people had cast their ballots. Roughly 15 million also voted during last week’s two-day early voting period, meaning voter turnout stood at 65.5%. South Korea has 44.4 million eligible voters.

On Tuesday, Lee, whose Democratic Party led the legislative effort to oust Yoon, urged voters to "deliver a stern and resolute judgement" against the conservatives over Yoon's martial law declaration.

In one of his final campaign speeches on Monday, Lee argued that a victory by Kim would represent "the return of the rebellion forces, the destruction of democracy and the deprival of people’s human rights." He also vowed to revitalize the economy, reduce inequality and ease national divisions.

Kim, a former labor minister under Yoon, warned that a win by Lee would allow him to hold excessive power, launch political retaliation against opponents and legislate laws to protect him from various legal troubles, as his party already has control of parliament.

Lee "is now trying to seize all power in South Korea and establish a Hitler-like dictatorship," Kim said at a rally in the southeastern city of Busan.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The second round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey once again did not yield any ceasefire results on Monday and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his demand that Russian President Vladimir Putin "must not receive any reward for [his] war."

Despite an apparent memorandum of terms given to Ukraine by the Russian delegation, Moscow once again refused to agree to an unconditional ceasefire defined by a U.S. proposal and already agreed to by Kyiv. 

Following the talks – which appeared to last for less than three hours, though some reporting noted they lasted for less than one hour – the head of the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, said his Russian counterparts not only refused ceasefire terms, but also to a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.

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A massive 6,000 to 6,000 prisoner exchange was agreed to and will secure the release of sick, seriously injured prisoners and those under the age of 25.

Ukraine also handed over a list containing the names of several hundred children that Russia illegally deported and relocated from occupied territories of Ukraine, though it is unclear if Russian authorities have agreed to return any of the children, many of whom have been "adopted" by Russian parents.

"The key to lasting peace is clear – the aggressor must not receive any reward for war. Putin must get nothing that would justify his aggression," Zelenskyy said in a post to X following his address at a NATO security summit in Lithuania.  "Any reward would only show him that war pays off."

Zelenskyy’s comments and the peace talks came just one day after a surprise drone strike dubbed "Operation Spiderweb" by Ukraine inside Russia in which Moscow's military complex was targeted, and roughly a third of it's cruise missile carriers were apparently destroyed.

Zelenskyy said the attack "seriously weakened their military" and "showed what modern war really looks like and [that’s] why it’s so important to stay ahead with technology."

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The Ukrainian president did not comment further on the substance of the talks. Ukraine has been given one week to review Russia’s terms for a ceasefire.

Ukraine’s terms first call for a 30-day land, air and sea-based ceasefire before Kyiv, alongside Washington and European allies, would then begin further negotiations with Moscow, according to a report by Reuters, which apparently obtained a copy of the conditions.

The document also reportedly states that the current location of the front line will be the starting point for negotiations about territory, and calls for no restrictions on Ukraine’s military, reparations for Ukraine and a refusal by the international community to acknowledge Russian sovereignty over the illegally occupied lands. 

Zelenskyy also reiterated his position on Monday that Putin should not be allowed to dictate which countries are allowed to enter the NATO alliance, which Russia has repeatedly said is one of its demands over Ukraine.

Granting Ukraine NATO access would all but officially bar Russia from ever re-invading Ukraine as it would grant Kyiv Article 5 protections, which confirm an attack on one NATO ally will be treated as an attack on all NATO allies and responded to accordingly.

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"If Putin is allowed to decide who joins NATO, where NATO infrastructure can or can’t be, then Russia’s appetite for war will only grow. Our shared goal is the opposite – to completely end Russia’s hunger for aggression," Zelenskyy said. 

"Strong decisions are needed. Decisions for Europe, not for Putin. We all need to work together to make this really happen. And it’s doable," he added. 

A future meeting between Ukraine and Russia has yet to be announced. 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday that he is moving the United Kingdom's military into "war-fighting readiness" to address growing threats from Russia. 

During a visit to BAE Systems'Govan facility, a navy ship-building yard in Glasgow, Scotland, the prime minister laid out "three fundamental changes" to be made in response to the country's strategic defense review. 

"First, we are moving to war-fighting readiness as the central purpose of our armed forces," Starmer said. "When we are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces, the most effective way to deter them is to be ready. And frankly, to show them that we're ready, to deliver peace through strength." 

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Starmer continued, "Now Britain has the finest service men and women in the world. We're showing them the respect that they deserve by delivering the biggest armed forces pay rise in 20 years and by pledging today that we will end the hollowing out of our armed forces. "We'll build a fighting force that is more integrated, more ready, more lethal than ever, backed by a stronger strategic reserve, fully trained and ready to mobilize at any time."

The new approach comes as President Donald Trump has warned European nations to take more responsibility for their own security. Starmer's announcement focused on a "new era" of threats, citing the war in Ukraine, new nuclear risks and "daily cyberattacks," as well as reversing the post-Cold War defense decline. He called out "growing Russian aggression" in U.K. waters and skies, blaming "their reckless actions" for the increased cost of living "hitting working people the hardest." 

"The threat we now face is more serious, more immediate and more unpredictable than at any time since the Cold War," Starmer said. 

The U.K. government announced military plans in response to a strategic defense review commissioned by Starmer and led by George Robertson, a former U.K. defense secretary and NATO secretary general. 

It's the first such review since 2021. Months after Britain's last major defense review was published in 2021, then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson said with confidence that the era of "fighting big tank battles on European landmass" are over. Three months later, Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine. Starmer's center-left Labour Party government says it will accept all 62 recommendations made in the review, aiming to help the U.K. confront growing threats on land, air, sea and in cyberspace.

The second change, Starmer explained from Scotland, is ensuring "everything we do will add to the strength of NATO."

"As we step up to take greater responsibility for our collective defense, the NATO alliance means something profound, that we will never fight alone," Starmer said. "It is a fundamental source of our strategic strength. That's why our defense policy will always be NATO first, something that's written through this review. The transformation we are driving in our defense must add up to Britain's biggest contribution to NATO since its creation. So that when we're building new capabilities at home, we are making our allies safer too, strengthening Europe, and strengthening our bridge to the US as Britain's first partner in defense." 

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The third change laid out by Starmer is for the U.K. to "innovate and accelerate at a wartime pace so we can meet the threats of today and of tomorrow as the fastest innovator in NATO." He said such advancements would not mean "replacing people" or hardware, but would rather mean "learning the lessons of Ukraine" and ensuring "every capability we have works seamlessly together."

"Drones, destroyers, AI, aircraft, each different branch of our armed services, fully integrated to create an army which is 10 times more lethal by 2035," Starmer said. 

The U.K. government said it's expanding the country's armed, nuclear-powered submarine fleet with up to 12 new SSN-AUKUS boats through a partnership with Australia and the United States. The government also says it will invest 15 billion pounds in Britain’s nuclear arsenal, which consists of missiles carried on a handful of submarines. Details of those plans are likely to be kept secret.

Starmer has already pledged to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, a boost from the current 2.3%, and to eventually get that up to 3%.

GB News noted at the press conference Monday that Starmer hasn’t committed to having 3% of the GDP go to defense spending within the next nine years, even as Germany’s defense chief warned Russia could invade a NATO ally within the next four years. In his response, Starmer reiterated the U.K. as a "steadfast ally" to Ukraine and said the changes coming as a result of the review would be the best way to deter further conflict. 

The U.K. government will also increase Britain’s conventional weapons stockpiles with up to 7,000 U.K.-built long-range weapons.

Starmer said rearming would create a "defense dividend" of thousands of well-paid manufacturing jobs – a contrast to the post-Cold War "peace dividend" that saw Western nations channel money away from defense into other areas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Poland has elected Karol Nawrocki, a conservative backed by President Donald Trump, in the country’s presidential runoff election, according to a final vote count issued Monday. 

Nawrocki won 50.89% of the vote, gaining a narrow victory over liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who received 49.11%, the Associated Press reported. 

The first round of voting two weeks ago revealed deep divisions in the country along the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union. Nawrocki will succeed Andrzej Duda, a conservative whose second and final term ends on Aug. 6. 

Trzaskowski conceded defeat and congratulated Nawrocki on Monday, thanking all those who voted for him. 

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"I fought for us to build a strong, safe, honest, and empathetic Poland together," he wrote on X. "I’m sorry I wasn’t able to convince the majority of citizens of my vision for Poland. I’m sorry we didn’t win together."

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem last week stumped for Nawrocki at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Warsaw, where she also slammed "weak" European leaders who she argued have allowed mass migration of having "destroyed their civilizations." Noem praised Poland’s strict border enforcement, warning that "socialists" like Trzaskowski would take such protections away from the Polish people. 

Trump hosted Nawrocki at the White House in early May during the conservative candidate's campaign. 

Under the Polish constitution, the president serves a five-year term and may be re-elected once. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among the leaders offering their congratulations to Nawrocki on Monday morning. 

"Poland, which preserves the strength of its national spirit and its faith in justice, has been and remains a pillar of regional and European security, and a strong voice defending freedom and dignity for every nation," Zelenskyy wrote. "By reinforcing one another on our continent, we give greater strength to Europe in global competition and bring the achievement of real and lasting peace closer. I look forward to continued fruitful cooperation with Poland and with President Nawrocki personally." 

The U.S. has about 10,000 troops stationed in Poland and Noem suggested that military ties could deepen with Nawrocki as president. A common refrain from Nawrocki's supporters is that he will restore "normality," as they believe Trump has done. U.S. flags often appeared at Nawrocki's rallies, and his supporters believed that he offered a better chance for good ties with the Trump administration.

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Nawrocki, a 42-year-old amateur boxer and historian, has also echoed some of Trump's language on Ukraine. He promises to continue Poland's support for Ukraine but has been critical of Zelenskyy, accusing him of taking advantage of allies. He has accused Ukrainian refugees of taking advantage of Polish generosity, vowing to prioritize Poles for social services such as health care and schooling.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who shares Nawrocki's national conservative worldview, hailed Nawrocki's "fantastic victory."

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered measured congratulations, emphasizing continued EU-Poland collaboration rooted in shared democratic values: "We are all stronger together in our community of peace, democracy, and values. So let us work to ensure the security and prosperity of our common home."

Nawrocki's victory is a comeback for the Law and Justice party, which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023, when it lost power to Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist coalition. 

Duda's veto power has been one obstacle to the pro-European Union Tusk in fulfilling certain electoral promises, such as loosening restrictions on abortion or passing a civil partnership law for same-sex couples. Some observers in Poland have said the unfulfilled promises could make it more difficult for Tusk to continue his term until the next parliamentary election scheduled for late 2027, particularly if Law and Justice dangles the prospect of future cooperation with conservatives in his coalition.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

China criticized U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday for his "vilified" remarks "filled with provocations" in which he said the Asian country poses a legitimate threat in the Indo-Pacific.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Hegseth touted a "Cold War mentality" when he delivered his speech on Saturday at the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore.

"Hegseth deliberately ignored the call for peace and development by countries in the region, and instead touted the Cold War mentality for bloc confrontation, vilified China with defamatory allegations, and falsely called China a 'threat,'" a spokesperson for the ministry said in a statement.

"The remarks were filled with provocations and intended to sow discord," the statement continued. "China deplores and firmly opposes them and has protested strongly to the U.S. No country in the world deserves to be called a hegemonic power other than the US itself, which is also the primary factor undermining the peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific."

HEGSETH SAYS US WILL BOLSTER DEFENSES OVERSEAS TO SUPPORT INDO-PACIFIC ALLIES AGAINST CHINA

On Saturday, Hegseth said the U.S. will bolster its defenses overseas to counter what the Pentagon views as rapidly developing threats by China, particularly toward Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own.

The Chinese army "is rehearsing for the real deal," Hegseth said. "We are not going to sugarcoat it — the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent."

The Pentagon chief said China is no longer building up its military forces to take Taiwan, but it is "actively training for it, every day."

Addressing the dispute over Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in its statement that the matter is China’s internal affair and that the U.S. should "never play with fire."

"No country is in a position to interfere," the statement said. "The US should never imagine it could use the Taiwan question as leverage against China. The US must never play with fire on this question. China urges the US to fully abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, and stop supporting and emboldening the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces."

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The statement also accused the U.S. of deploying offensive weaponry in the South China Sea and "stoking flames and creating tensions" in the Asia-Pacific, which it said was "turning the region into a powder keg and making countries in the region deeply concerned."

In the South China Sea, the statement said there "has never been any problem with regard to freedom of navigation and overflight there."

"China has always been committed to working with countries concerned to properly handle differences through dialogue and consultation, while safeguarding China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in accordance with laws and regulations," the spokesperson said. "It is the U.S. that is the primary factor hurting the peace and stability in the South China Sea."

The statement concluded: "China urges the U.S. to fully respect the efforts of countries in the region to maintain peace and stability, stop deliberately destroying the peaceful and stable environment cherished by the region, and stop inciting conflict and confrontation and escalating tensions in the region."

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang also called Hegseth's comments a provocation that distorted China’s policy positions.

While Hegseth vowed to boost U.S. defenses overseas to counter any possible threat from China, the defense secretary insisted that allies in the Indo-Pacific also contribute more to their own defense.

"We ask, and indeed we insist, that our allies and partners do their part on defense," he said on Saturday. "Sometimes that means having uncomfortable and tough conversations."

The U.S. and China reached a deal last month to cut tariffs on each other by 115% for 90 days to allow time for negotiators from both sides to come to a more substantive agreement, but Trump said in a social media post on Friday that he would no longer be "nice" with China when it comes to trade and accused Beijing of breaking an unspecified agreement with the U.S.

Drone footage released by the Israel Defense Forces shows armed and masked people in Gaza shooting civilians, Israel said Sunday, amid claims, which have been staunchly denied, that the IDF killed dozens of people collecting humanitarian aid.

The IDF said it was releasing additional information amid false reports that its soldiers fired upon civilians at an aid distribution site.

"Findings from an initial inquiry indicate that the IDF did not fire at civilians while they were near or within the humanitarian aid distribution site and that reports to this effect are false," the IDF said in a statement. "The IDF is cooperating with the American Civil Organization (GHF) and international aid organizations in order to enable the distribution of aid to the Gazan residents — and not to Hamas."

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The agency also said that Hamas has done everything it can to disrupt food distribution efforts in the Gaza Strip.

Israel quickly pushed back amid reports that at least 26 Palestinians were killed and some 175 were wounded while attempting to get food, according to officials from the Hamas-run health ministry and witnesses.

Witnesses said Israeli forces fired on crowds around 1,000 yards away from an aid site run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). A Palestinian journalist told the BBC that thousands had gathered near the aid site outside Gaza's southern city of Rafah when Israeli tanks approached and opened fire on the crowd.

The GHF has denied previous accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites, which are in Israeli military zones where independent access is limited.

ISRAEL REIMPOSES BLOCKADE OF NORTHERN GAZA, INCLUDING CAPITAL GAZA CITY

Israel has long said that Hamas routinely prevents aid from reaching civilians, while also deliberately putting them in harms' way.

"Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization that starves and endangers the population in order to preserve its control over the Gaza Strip. As part of its brutal behavior and its attempts to disrupt humanitarian aid, Hamas directly harms the residents of Gaza," the IDF said Sunday.

IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Hamas is spreading false rumors and "fake news" to stop Israel from distributing aid.

"I urge not to believe every rumor spread by Hamas," he said while in Rafah. "We will investigate each and every one of those incidents and each and every one of those allegations. We are a professional military."

In a separate incident overnight, the IDF said troops fired warning shots in the direction of several people advancing toward them near a humanitarian aid distribution site.

"Overnight, approximately one kilometer away from the humanitarian aid distribution site, and outside the operating hours of the humanitarian aid distribution site, IDF troops acted to prevent several suspects from approaching the troops. During the activity, warning shots were fired toward several suspects who advanced toward the troops. There is no connection between this incident and the false claims made against the IDF."

The brazen Ukrainian blitz of Russian warplanes Sunday was 18 months in the making and the Pentagon was kept in the dark until it was over, sources told Fox News.

"Operation Spider's Web," a series of coordinated drone strikes penetrating deep into Russian territory, is believed to have taken out dozens of Russia's most powerful bomber jets and surveillance planes as they sat idle on five military airfields. 

The stunning operation was personally overseen by President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s security service (SBU) said.

Ukraine used small FPV drones hidden inside wooden cabins mounted on trucks. When the trucks reached their targets, the roofs opened by remote control, and the drones launched.

Videos on social media showed drones lifting off from parked trucks and striking large aircraft on the runways.

UKRAINE DESTROYS DOZENS OF RUSSIAN WARPLANES WITH DRONE ATTACK DEEP INSIDE RUSSIA

In a statement on X, Zelenskyy called the operation "an absolutely brilliant result" and said it was "achieved solely by Ukraine."

He said the mission took "one year, six months, and nine days from the start of planning to effective execution" and described it as "our most long-range operation." He added that "our people involved in preparing the operation were withdrawn from Russian territory in time" and thanked General Vasyl Maliuk, head of the SBU, for the success. 

Zelensky said some details could not be disclosed yet but declared: "These are Ukrainian actions that will undoubtedly be in history books… Ukraine is defending itself, and rightly so."

Russia’s defense ministry confirmed that airfields in five regions were attacked: Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur.

Russia called the strike a "terrorist act" but said its forces repelled the attack. Still, the ministry admitted several aircraft caught fire. Russian officials said some suspects had been arrested.

Ukraine said 117 drones were used.

The SBU claimed 34% of Russia’s strategic bombers were hit and estimated the damage at $7 billion. BBC Monitoring reported that other Ukrainian experts gave a lower estimate of $2 billion. These numbers have not been confirmed.

The attack happened just before planned peace talks between Ukraine and Russia were set to begin Monday in Istanbul, which are backed by President Donald Trump, the BBC reported.

RUSSIA LAUNCHES LARGEST AERIAL ATTACK OF UKRAINE WAR, KILLING AT LEAST 12

Ukraine says it will push for a full ceasefire, the return of captured prisoners, and the return of children taken to Russia. Those terms have not been agreed to by Russia.

The White House confirmed to Fox News that the Trump administration was not informed about the attack in advance. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who did not speak to Ukrainian officials immediately after the operation, was ultimately given a full briefing and subsequent updates, according to a senior defense official.

The officials said the blitz was highly sophisticated, and that the Pentagon is unsure whether the quadcopter drones, which were prepositioned in Russia in cabins and then offloaded into trucks, were piloted or autonomous.

U.S. officials were skeptical of reports that up to 50 Russian bombers were hit, and believed the number was likely between 11 and 15, the official said, who added it may have involved as many as five Russian airfields.

Military experts say the raid damaged Russia’s ability to launch long-range missile attacks. The bombers hit included TU-95 and TU-22M3 aircraft, which have been used in past strikes on Ukraine.

Ukraine also claimed it damaged a Russian A-50 radar aircraft, used to direct Russian air power.

BBC weapons analyst Chris Partridge said that because the drones were launched from inside Russia, air defenses like the S-300 and S-400 had little time to react.

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The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's additional request for comment.

Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

As Israel continues to recover from the deadly Hamas attacks of October 2023, Samaritan’s Purse is stepping in to help. 

The Christian relief group has now given 20 ambulances to Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical service. A total of 42 are planned, with 28 being armored to handle attacks.

At a ceremony outside the Tower of David in Jerusalem, Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, dedicated the newest ambulance alongside former Governor Mike Huckabee, MDA leaders, and Israeli terror survivors. 

The ambulance is equipped with a mobile intensive care unit and can operate under fire.

FORMER IDF SOLDIER GIVES HOPE, BUILDS RESILIENCE IN TRAINING SEVERELY INJURED SOLDIERS

The funds for the vehicle came from Pastor Greg Laurie and his church, Harvest Christian Fellowship. Laurie told those gathered, "We want to say as Christians that we stand with Israel. You’re not alone."

Franklin Graham read from the Bible, saying that Abraham was like a first responder when he rescued his nephew Lot.

"Abraham was the MDA of his generation," Graham said. He also took time to speak directly to three women who had lost loved ones or had been held hostage by Hamas. One of them, Karina Engel, shared her emotional story. 

Engel's husband, Ronen, was killed defending their home, and she and her two daughters were kidnapped and taken to Gaza. They were held for 52 days before being released. Ronen’s body is still being held by Hamas.

WEDDING OF PARAMEDICS TAKES PLACE WITH AMBULANCE AS BACKDROP: 'FELT ONLY RIGHT'

Karina told the crowd that a Samaritan’s Purse ambulance, dedicated in her husband’s memory, is now stationed near their home. 

"Every morning when I leave for work, I say ‘good morning’ to Ronen," she said through tears. She then placed a yellow ribbon on Graham’s jacket, honoring those still held hostage.

Mike Huckabee spoke at the ceremony and said the need for an armored ambulance shows how serious the threat still is. "This is an occasion brought about because of suffering," he said. 

"Thank God for Samaritan’s Purse, Harvest Christian Fellowship, and the people who risk their lives to help others."

Magen David Adom leaders praised the donation. Director General Eli Bin said the ambulance "will become part of our modern defense" and called it a symbol of "kindness and protection." 

Gilad Erdan, global president of MDA, said Samaritan’s Purse "came to Israel’s aid in its time of greatest need."

Edward Graham, a military veteran and Franklin Graham’s son, said in a statement that he has seen the value of quick medical help in combat zones. 

"We do this because God loves Israel," he said. "We pray this equipment will save lives and bring glory to God."

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The ambulance carries a Bible verse from Jeremiah 29:11 on its side: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

The ceremony was held during Shavuot, the Jewish holiday that marks the giving of the Torah.

Twenty-two more armored ambulances are being built and are expected to arrive by the end of the year. Samaritan’s Purse says its work will continue as long as there is a need.

Ukrainian forces destroyed dozens of Russian warplanes with a drone attack on air bases deep within Russian territory on Sunday.

Ukrainian forces destroyed 40 aircraft in the attack, which an official says took more than a year to orchestrate. Russia's defense ministry confirmed the attack on Sunday, saying it struck five airfields.

The operation saw drones transported in containers carried by trucks deep into Russian territory, he said. The drones reportedly hit 41 planes stationed at several airfields on Sunday afternoon, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M aircraft, the official said.

Moscow has previously used Tupolev Tu-95 and Tu-22 long-range bombers to launch missiles at Ukraine, while A-50s are used to coordinate targets and detect air defenses and guided missiles.

GEN. KELLOGG REVEALS WHAT CONCERNS HIM ABOUT RUSSIA

The White House told Fox News that President Donald Trump and his administration were not warned of the attack ahead of time.

Ukraine says President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally oversaw the drone attack.

"We are doing everything to protect our independence, our state and our people," Zelenskyy said in a statement.

The strike comes just a day before Ukrainian and Russian officials are set to meet for a second round of ceasefire talks in Istanbul, Turkey.

PUTIN MASSES 50,000 TROOPS ON UKRAINE'S NORTH FRONT AS TRUMP AGAIN AGREES TO MEET RUSSIAN, UKRAINIAN LEADERS

A series of explosions also struck bridges in Russia near Ukraine's border on Saturday, though Ukraine has not taken responsibility for the attacks.

A highway bridge over a railway in the Bryansk region was blown up at 10:50 pm (1950 GMT) on Saturday night just as a passenger train carrying 388 passengers to Moscow was passing underneath, Russian investigators said.

Just four hours later, a railway bridge over a highway was blown up in the neighboring Kursk region, showering the road with parts of a freight train, the investigators said.

Fox News' Sarah Tobianski, Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

At least seven people were killed and 69 injured when two bridges were blown up in separate Russian regions bordering Ukraine ahead of planned peace talks aimed at ending the three-year-old war in Ukraine, Russian officials said on Sunday.

A highway bridge over a railway in the Bryansk region was blown up at 10:50 pm (1950 GMT) on Saturday night just as a passenger train carrying 388 passengers to Moscow was passing underneath, Russian investigators said.

Just four hours later, a railway bridge over a highway was blown up in the neighboring Kursk region, showering the road with parts of a freight train, the investigators said.

GEN. KELLOGG REVEALS WHAT CONCERNS HIM ABOUT RUSSIA

Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, linked the incidents and said explicitly that both bridges were blown up.

In the Bryansk region, social media pictures and videos showed passengers trying to climb out of smashed carriages in the dark. Part of the passenger train was shown crushed under a collapsed road bridge and wrecked carriages lay beside the lines.

"The bridge was blown up while the Klimovo-Moscow train was passing through with 388 passengers on board," Alexander Bogomaz, the region's governor, told Russian television.

Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, linked the incidents and said explicitly that both bridges were blown up.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on the incidents, which took place just a day before the United States wants Russia and Ukraine to sit down to direct talks in Istanbul to discuss a possible end to a war which, according to Washington, has killed and injured at least 1.2 million people.

Ukraine's HUR military intelligence agency said on Sunday that an explosion had derailed a Russian military train hauling cargo and fuel trucks near the settlement of Yakymivka, in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region.

PUTIN MASSES 50,000 TROOPS ON UKRAINE'S NORTH FRONT AS TRUMP AGAIN AGREES TO MEET RUSSIAN, UKRAINIAN LEADERS

The agency did not claim responsibility or attribute the explosion to anyone, though Ukraine has in the past claimed a series of attacks deep into Russia.

Russian politicians lined up to blame Ukraine, saying it was clearly sabotage aimed at derailing the peace talks which the United States has demanded.

"This is definitely the work of the Ukrainian special services," the chairman of the defense committee of the lower house of the Russian parliament, Andrei Kartapolov, told the SHOT Telegram channel.

"All this is aimed at toughening the position of the Russian Federation and stoking aggression before the negotiations. And also to intimidate people. But they won't succeed."

President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the bridge blasts by the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Emergency Ministry throughout the night, the Kremlin said. Putin also spoke to the governor of Bryansk, Alexander Bogomaz.

U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded the sides make peace, and he has threatened to walk away if they do not - potentially pushing responsibility for supporting Ukraine onto the shoulders of European powers.

But as politicians talk of peace negotiations, the war is heating up, with swarms of drones launched by both Russia and Ukraine and Russian troops advancing at key points along the front in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine has not committed to attending the talks in Turkey, saying it first needed to see Russia's proposals, while a leading U.S. senator warned Moscow it would be "hit hard" by new U.S. sanctions.

For the first time, Syrians are openly calling for peace with Israel. In an interview with Fox News Digital, journalist Furat Alali from Damascus said, "We want a future without wars. We want to live. People are not afraid to speak up anymore." 

Her statement reflects a significant shift in the country’s political landscape, as many Syrians begin to openly discuss the prospect of peace with Israel. This change comes at a time when Syria and Israel are engaged in direct talks as Reuters revealed on Tuesday, marking a dramatic departure from the decades-long hostility between the two nations.

Reuters reported, Israel and Syria have recently held direct meetings focused on security issues along their shared border. These talks represent a major step in the relationship between the two countries, which have been adversaries for decades.

A WEAKENED HEZBOLLAH LEADS SOME IN LEBANON TO TALK OF PEACE WITH ISRAEL AS US PUSHES SIDES TOGETHER

Sources familiar with the discussions have indicated that the U.S. has played a pivotal role in facilitating these talks, encouraging Syria’s new leadership to engage with Israel.

The discussions come after a shift in U.S. policy, following President Donald Trump’s meeting with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa earlier this month. The meeting signaled a break from decades of U.S. hostility toward Syria’s Assad regime and opened the door to potential normalization between Syria and Israel. 

While the talks are still in the early stages, Trump’s engagement has raised the possibility of Syria’s leadership eventually normalizing ties with Israel, although this process will likely take time.

Furat Alali explained: "We don’t want to be part of the Axis of Resistance anymore. The Palestinian cause has been used to oppress us. We feel sympathy for the Palestinians, but now we need to focus on Syria and our future."

Lina Ali, a 24-year-old pharmacist from Latakia, told Fox News Digital, "We feel for the people of Gaza. We condemn the mass killings, but we are in a different situation. We are thinking about our own interests now. The idea of exploiting the Palestinian cause to oppress the Syrian people has been rejected. We are tired of this."

Another young woman interviewed by Jusoor News, a Pan-Arab media outlet, shared similar thoughts: "We are for anything that serves our country’s interest. We’ve lived through difficult times. The country’s economy is very weak. It’s time for people to live."

FALL OF SYRIA'S BASHAR ASSAD IS STRATEGIC BLOW TO IRAN AND RUSSIA, EXPERTS SAY

An elderly Syrian man explained to Jusoor, "We’ve spent 40-50 years preaching Arabism and liberating Palestine, and what do we have to show for it? Nothing. It’s time for peace." 

The shift in Syria’s stance on Israel is significant, especially given the historical enmity between the two nations. For decades, Syria and Israel have been locked in conflict, with the status of the Golan Heights remaining a key point of contention since its capture by Israel during the 1967 war. Syria’s involvement in the Axis of Resistance, aligning with Iran and Hezbollah against Israel, has been a cornerstone of its foreign policy.

However, the recent emergence of interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa has raised new possibilities, as well as concerns.

Furat Ali said, "I was one of the journalists who extensively covered the violations of Jabhat al-Nusra before the fall of the Assad regime, the group Al-Jolani emerged from (using his previous name), which was part of al-Qaeda. I know exactly what they did. So, when I first heard that Al-Jolani was taking over Aleppo and challenging Assad, I was scared." 

"But as time went on," she added, "when he rebranded himself as Ahmed al-Sharaa and promised a new direction, I saw he was smart. He managed to convince the West to lift sanctions and engage with him, bringing back international recognition for Syria. While we remain skeptical and cautious, what we’re seeing from Sharaa domestically is so far being accepted."

Joseph Braude, founder and president of the Center for Peace Communications, highlighted the significance of the shift in public opinion within Syria. He noted, "People in Syria and Lebanon often associate the Palestinian issue with dictators who exploited it to justify corruption and brutality. There is a growing rejection of pro-Palestinian militancy, as many people now desire to turn the page and focus on new partnerships aimed at developing their own countries.

"We believe that it has become a majority view in Syria that if peace with Israel brings economic development and improvements, then it’s worth pursuing."

He also pointed out that in countries dominated by Iran and its militias, ordinary people have the clearest understanding of the harm these groups cause. "They are among the most eager for a different future, increasingly calling for peace," Braude added.

As one man interviewed by Jusoor News put it: "We’ve suffered years of oppression and war. It’s time for reconstruction. We need peace with everyone," another Syrian added’ "I support normalization a million percent! If normalization with Israel, or America or whoever can bring us comfort, then I’m on board. We just want peace!"

A newly surfaced U.K. government document has raised fresh concerns over British-funded humanitarian aid to Gaza, suggesting officials were aware of the risk funds might indirectly support Hamas. the terrorist group that governs the Gaza Strip. 

While U.K. officials strongly deny the claim, critics say key questions remain unanswered.

The document, dated November 2022 and obtained by NGO Monitor, outlines the U.K.'s humanitarian strategy in the occupied Palestinian territories. One section references a UNICEF-administered cash assistance program in Gaza coordinated with the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD). 

The NGO Monitor report claims, "The MoSD in Gaza is affiliated with the de facto authorities and thus U.K. Aid can be linked directly or indirectly with supporting the de facto authority in Gaza (Hamas), which is part of a proscribed group." 

UN CASH APP FOR GAZANS EXPLOITED BY HAMAS AS TERROR GROUP STEALS AID MONEY MEANT FOR CIVILIANS

The group's report also claimed the British consulate-general in Jerusalem, which reportedly authored the document, assessed this as a "reputational" risk, raising concerns not of legality, but of public perception if the arrangement were to be revealed. 

Anne Herzberg, legal advisor at NGO Monitor, told Fox News Digital the phrasing is significant. 

"This is what was most shocking to us," she told Fox News Digital. "The government clearly acknowledged the risk that U.K. taxpayer funds could reach Hamas, but they were more concerned about how it might look than the real danger of supporting terrorism."

Herzberg explained NGO Monitor uncovered the Foreign Office document, originally published in November 2022, during an extensive investigation into humanitarian aid flows in Gaza. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) categorically denied any funding reached Hamas-controlled bodies.

"We categorically reject these allegations. The U.K. does not fund Hamas-run agencies in Gaza," an FCDO spokesperson stated. "The UNICEF program is coordinated with the Ministry of Social Development in Ramallah, which is run by the Palestinian Authority. U.K. funding was provided through UNICEF directly to vulnerable households in Gaza."

The FCDO stressed that Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organization under U.K. law, "and funding or supporting it is a crime." It further noted that the U.K. conducted a due-diligence assessment of UNICEF and tracks the path of funding to its final civilian recipients.

ISRAEL FIRES BACK AT UK OVER SUSPENDED TRADE TALKS, REJECTS ‘EXTERNAL PRESSURE’

But Herzberg said the November 2022 document — alongside UNICEF’s own March 2024 update celebrating its "strengthened partnership with the Ministry of Social Development" in Gaza — points to deeper inconsistencies.

Yona Schiffmiller, the director of research at NGO Monitor, told Fox News digital, "The U.K. document clearly refers to the Gaza-based MoSD. If the program was only coordinated with Ramallah, it’s unclear why Gaza-specific risks were flagged."

UNICEF’s March 2024 report states that over 540,000 Gazans received support after the Oct. 7 attacks, adding the partnership with the MoSD "helped ensure access to the social registry and resulted in targeting the most vulnerable families." NGO Monitor points out that the MoSD in Gaza is led by Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas politburo member sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2024.

Herzberg said the report claims "this aid diversion was central in Hamas’ preparations for the October 7th massacre, including the construction of tunnels and other military installations, and stockpiling supplies and resources. After thousands of terrorists invaded Israel and committed mass atrocities, Hamas continued to commandeer aid, creating and taking advantage of a black market."

ISRAELI AMBASSADOR LASHES OUT AT UN OFFICIAL, CONDEMNS UK, FRANCE, CANADA STATEMENT ON AID

"Even after Oct. 7 and all we’ve been seeing ... they still refuse to deal with this question of diversion," Herzberg claimed. "There’s no transparency, no oversight, and the U.N. is actively trying to thwart Israeli, U.S. and other allied efforts in trying to improve the humanitarian aid situation."

She was referring to the recent U.S.-backed initiative to establish a new aid distribution system in Gaza that started operating Monday.

The NGO Monitor report further details how the MoSD is run by senior Hamas officials, including Ghazi Hamad, who publicly praised the Oct. 7 massacre and was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in November 2024. Another top MoSD figure, Mohammed Al-Araeer, has repeatedly glorified terrorist attacks on social media and praised Hamas commanders.

A recent investigation by Israel’s website, "Shomrim," and Israel’s Channel 12 revealed that Hamas has built an extensive fundraising network inside the U.K. Senior Hamas operatives with British citizenship have established charitable foundations that raise millions of pounds annually, some of which ends up in the hands of the group’s military wing. 

Udi Levi, formerly head of the Counter-Terror Financing Division in the Mossad, told Israel’s Channel 12, "Britain is becoming the central country transferring funds to Hamas, including after Oct. 7."

The watchdog also raised broader concerns about the role of other U.N. agencies in Gaza, noting at least 12 are active in the Strip. Herzberg said it remains unclear whether similar diversion risks exist across those agencies.

"We all know how UNRWA has been taken over by Hamas, but what about the others? Is the same thing happening there? These are the types of questions no one is willing to answer," she said.

The controversy unfolds against the backdrop of heightened diplomatic tensions. Last month, the U.K. suspended trade negotiations with Israel, citing humanitarian concerns. Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticized the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza and called for restored aid and electricity.

NGO Monitor says the debate highlights the urgent need for a new international mechanism to oversee aid delivery in Gaza, one that bypasses Hamas-controlled institutions and ensures civilian aid is protected from exploitation.

"The issue isn’t just legal compliance — it’s moral responsibility," Herzberg said. "Western donors should be taking every precaution possible. So far, that hasn’t been the case."

Early South Korean voters reportedly turned out in record numbers this week as the nation awaits the June 3 presidential election in what has been described as a pivotal race amid ongoing threats posed by China and recent rocky relations with the U.S. due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs. 

The leader of the progressive Democratic Party of South Korea, Lee Jae-myung, is reported to be leading the race as the frontrunner, but he has raised some eyebrows after he vowed to take a "pragmatic" approach to geopolitics, chiefly by easing previously hawkish positions on China and lessening dependence on the U.S.

"The alliance with the U.S. is the foundation of South Korea’s diplomacy," Lee said during a debate earlier this month, Bloomberg reported.

KIM JONG UN LEFT FUMING AFTER NORTH KOREA'S NEW DESTROYER DAMAGED IN FAILED LAUNCH

Lee said the U.S.-South Korea-Japan partnership should be expanded, but he also said Seoul can’t be "unilaterally bound" to relations with Washington, particularly when it comes to U.S. geopolitical rivalries. 

"We should not neglect ties with China or Russia. We need to manage them appropriately, and there’s no need to have an unnecessarily hostile approach like now," Lee also said during the debate, the South China Morning Post reported.

Former California GOP Congresswoman Michelle Steel, who was born in South Korea, explained that China's "bullying" behavior in the region leaves much for the global community to be concerned about. 

"China [poses] the biggest threat, and they already told the whole world that they're going to take over Taiwan," she told Fox News Digital. "When they take over, where are they going to go [to] next? South Korea or Japan? The Philippines?

"China has been always fighting to expand." 

Foreign policy has taken center stage in the presidential race after conservative former President Yoon Suk Yeol threw the nation into political chaos after his December 2024 impeachment.

Yoon was ardently aligned with the U.S. when it came to opposing Chinese aggression in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, where Beijing has been accused of expanding, militarizing and blocking freedom of navigation in contested territorial zones. 

Lee’s chief challenger, Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), a former labor minister under Yoon, pushed back on the democratic challenger’s position when it comes to China and the U.S.

But Lee has rejected the idea he is not prioritizing the U.S. alliance and reportedly said during this month’s debate, "There’s no need to worry. The South Korea-U.S. alliance is important and should continue to grow and strengthen."

NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES SHORT-RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILES INTO SEA, SOUTH KOREA SAYS

Though he did caution that certain steps taken by the Trump administration, including the 25% tariffs announced earlier this year and the potential withdrawal of troops has "eroded" the relationship. 

 "If the U.S. continues this way — eroding its soft power and the trust of other nations — it won’t be sustainable. At some point, brakes will be applied," Lee said. "Until then, endurance is key."

Steel argued the "South Korean people understand the importance of a strong relationship with the United States."

"Whatever the outcome of the election, South Korean leaders should embrace President Trump and look to make an incredible trade deal that will benefit everyone," she added. 

But Lee has not convinced all who are weary of his view on U.S. relations, including David Eunkoo Kim, founder and president of the Truth Forum, a conservative youth organization founded at Seoul National University.

"This election is widely seen as a pivotal moment for South Korea because the stakes — both domestically and geopolitically — are extraordinarily high," Kim said.

"Throughout his political career, (Lee) has consistently aligned himself with both pro-North Korean and pro-Chinese agendas. He has been implicated in sending funds to North Korea in violation of U.N. sanctions, and his deference to China has been nothing short of submissive," Kim said.

Kim was referring to Lee's indictment for an illegal cash transfer scheme to North Korea, though Lee denies the accusations and has argued they are politically motivated.

During this month’s debate, Lee's opponents claimed Lee is also a "North Korea risk" as concerns about Pyongyang’s military movements continue to escalate, Radio Free Asia reported.

Lee maintains he wants to ease tensions with North Korea by engaging in peaceful diplomacy. 

But David Eunkoo Kim told Fox News Digital Lee’s legal troubles are another geopolitical vulnerability.

"With multiple criminal investigations looming, he has every incentive to cling to power at all costs — even if that means aligning South Korea more closely with Beijing," he said. "And this concern is not theoretical. 

"China is already aggressively asserting influence in the region." 

At least 26 Palestinians were reportedly killed and some 175 were wounded as they made their way to receive food in the Gaza Strip, according to officials from the Hamas-run health ministry and witnesses, but Israeli officials dispute these claims.

Witnesses said Israeli forces fired on crowds around 1,000 yards away from an aid site run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). A Palestinian journalist told the BBC that thousands of Palestinians had gathered near the aid site near Gaza's southern city of Rafah when Israeli tanks approached and opened fire on the crowd.

The Israeli Defense Forces said it is "currently unaware of injuries caused by IDF fire within the Humanitarian Aid distribution site," adding that "the matter is still under review."

"It is false and fabricated. All aid was distributed today without incident," the GHF said. "No injuries or fatalities as noted in our daily update sent out earlier. We have heard that these fake reports have been actively fomented by Hamas. They are untrue and fabricated."

The GHF has denied previous accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites, which are in Israeli military zones where independent access is limited.

ISRAEL HOSTAGE DEAL IN DOUBT AS HAMAS ADDS DEMANDS, US ENVOY CALLS TERMS 'UNACCEPTABLE'

In its statement, the foundation dismissed what it referred to as "false reporting about deaths, mass injuries and chaos."

The organization's distribution of aid has been marred by chaos, with multiple witnesses having said Israeli troops fired on crowds near the delivery sites. Before Sunday, at least six people had been killed and more than 50 wounded, according to local health officials.

The foundation says the private security contractors guarding its sites have not fired on the crowds. The Israeli military has said it fired warning shots in previous incidents.

As thousands of people headed toward the distribution site hours before dawn, Israeli forces ordered them to disperse and return later, witnesses said. When the crowds reached the Flag Roundabout, around 1,000 yards away, at around 3 a.m., the military opened fire, the witnesses said.

"There was fire from all directions, from naval warships, from tanks and drones," Amr Abu Teiba, who was in the crowd, said.

He said he observed at least 10 bodies with gunshot wounds and several other wounded people, including women. People used carts to carry the victims to the field hospital.

Another witness, Ibrahim Abu Saoud, gave a nearly identical account. Abu Saoud said he saw many people with gunshot wounds, including a young man who he said had died at the scene.

Mohammed Abu Teaima said he saw Israeli forces open fire and kill his cousin and another woman as they were on their way to the distribution site. He said his cousin was shot in his chest and died at the scene, while many others were wounded, including his brother-in-law.

"They opened heavy fire directly towards us," he said.

HUCKABEE SLAMS FRENCH-BACKED PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD PUSH AT UN, SAYS US-ISRAEL ARE 'INSEPARABLY' LINKED

Israel and the U.S., which also backs the foundation, say the new aid system seeks to prevent Hamas from taking away aid. Israel has not provided any evidence of systematic diversion and the U.N. denies it has happened.

U.N. agencies and major aid groups have refused to work with the new system, arguing that it violates humanitarian principles since it allows Israel to control who receives aid and forces people to relocate to distribution sites.

The U.N. system has struggled to bring in aid after Israel recently slightly eased its total blockade of the territory. The groups say Israel's restrictions, the breakdown of law and order and widespread looting make it extremely difficult to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

At least 26 Palestinians were killed and at least 175 were wounded as they made their way to receive food in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials and witnesses.

Witnesses said Israeli forces fired on crowds around 1,000 yards away from an aid site run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. A Palestinian journalist told the BBC that thousands of Palestinians had gathered near the aid site near Gaza's southern city of Rafah when Israeli tanks approached and opened fire on the crowd.

The Israeli Defense Forces said it is "currently unaware of injuries caused by IDF fire within the Humanitarian Aid distribution site," adding that "the matter is still under review."

The foundation said in a statement that it delivered 16 truckloads of aid "without incident" early on Sunday. It has denied previous accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites, which are in Israeli military zones where independent access is limited.

ISRAEL HOSTAGE DEAL IN DOUBT AS HAMAS ADDS DEMANDS, US ENVOY CALLS TERMS 'UNACCEPTABLE'

In its statement, the foundation dismissed what it referred to as "false reporting about deaths, mass injuries and chaos."

The organization's distribution of aid has been marred by chaos, with multiple witnesses having said Israeli troops fired on crowds near the delivery sites. Before Sunday, at least six people had been killed and more than 50 wounded, according to local health officials.

The foundation says the private security contractors guarding its sites have not fired on the crowds. The Israeli military has said it fired warning shots in previous incidents.

As thousands of people headed toward the distribution site hours before dawn, Israeli forces ordered them to disperse and return later, witnesses said. When the crowds reached the Flag Roundabout, around 1,000 yards away, at around 3 a.m., the military opened fire, the witnesses said.

"There was fire from all directions, from naval warships, from tanks and drones," Amr Abu Teiba, who was in the crowd, said.

He said he observed at least 10 bodies with gunshot wounds and several other wounded people, including women. People used carts to carry the victims to the field hospital.

Another witness, Ibrahim Abu Saoud, gave a nearly identical account. Abu Saoud said he saw many people with gunshot wounds, including a young man who he said had died at the scene.

Mohammed Abu Teaima said he saw Israeli forces open fire and kill his cousin and another woman as they were on their way to the distribution site. He said his cousin was shot in his chest and died at the scene, while many others were wounded, including his brother-in-law.

"They opened heavy fire directly towards us," he said.

HUCKABEE SLAMS FRENCH-BACKED PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD PUSH AT UN, SAYS US-ISRAEL ARE 'INSEPARABLY' LINKED

Israel and the U.S., which also backs the foundation, say the new aid system seeks to prevent Hamas from taking away aid. Israel has not provided any evidence of systematic diversion and the U.N. denies it has happened.

U.N. agencies and major aid groups have refused to work with the new system, arguing that it violates humanitarian principles since it allows Israel to control who receives aid and forces people to relocate to distribution sites.

The U.N. system has struggled to bring in aid after Israel recently slightly eased its total blockade of the territory. The groups say Israel's restrictions, the breakdown of law and order and widespread looting make it extremely difficult to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Torrents of predawn rain unleashed flooding that killed at least 111 people in a market town where northern Nigerian farmers sell their wares to traders from the south, officials said Friday, predicting the death toll would grow.

The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency did not immediately say how much rain fell after midnight Thursday in the town of Mokwa in the state of Niger, more than 180 miles west of Abuja, the capital of Africa's most populous nation.

SOUTHEAST MET WITH DANGEROUS FLOODING WHILE NORTHEAST BRACES FOR SNOWSTORMS

Communities in northern Nigeria have been experiencing prolonged dry spells worsened by climate change and excessive rainfall that leads to severe flooding during the brief wet season.

In videos and photos on social media, floodwaters covered neighborhoods and homes were submerged, with their roofs barely visible above the brown-colored waters. Waist-deep in water, residents tried to salvage what they could, or rescue others.

"We lost many lives, and the properties, our farm produce. Those that have their storage have lost it," Kazeem Muhammed, a Mokwa resident, said.

Besides the 111 confirmed dead, "more bodies have just been brought and are yet to be counted," Niger state emergency agency spokesman IIbrahim Audu Husseini told The Associated Press by telephone Friday afternoon.

Mokwa, nearly 380 kilometers (236 miles) west of Abuja, is a major meeting point where traders from the south buy beans, onions and other food from farmers in the north.

Mokwa community leader Aliki Musa told the AP the villagers are not used to such flooding. "The water is like spiritual water which used to come but it’s seasonal," said Musa. "It can come now (and) it will reach another twenty years before coming again."

The chairman of the Mokwa local government area, Jibril Muregi, told local news website Premium Times that construction of flood-control works was long overdue.

"This critical infrastructure is essential to mitigating future flood risks and protecting lives and property," he said.

In September, torrential rains and a dam collapse in the northeastern city of Maiduguri caused severe flooding that left at least 30 people dead and displaced millions, worsening the humanitarian crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency.

Iran angrily lashed out at Austria’s government Friday after Fox News Digital reported on a document asserting that Tehran has developed an advanced nuclear weapons program that can launch long-range missiles. 

The explosive report from Austria’s version of the FBI—the Directorate State Protection and Intelligence Service—provides a specialized window into the Iranian regime’s illicit atomic weapons program and its espionage activities in the central European country.

DELEGATES FROM IRAN, US HOLDING TALKS IN OMAN AMID ONGOING TENSIONS: WHAT TO KNOW

Fox News Digital was the first news organization to report on the Iran sections of the report on Wednesday, sparking a major diplomatic row between the Islamic Republic and Austria.

"The Iranian nuclear weapons development program is well advanced, and Iran possesses a growing arsenal of ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads over long distances," the Austrian domestic intelligence agency report stated.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baqaei, denounced the Austrian intelligence agency "for spreading lies," and called on the Austrian government to "provide an official explanation regarding the irresponsible, provocative, and destructive act by one of its official institutions," according to the Ministry’s website.

IRAN FOREIGN MINISTER VOWS NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT WILL CONTINUE 'WITH OR WITHOUT A DEAL'

Tehran-based Austrian diplomat Michaela Pacher was summoned to the Iranian foreign ministry, according to the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.

"[Pacher] took this opportunity to reiterate Austria's and the EU's position on the Iranian nuclear program," Austrian officials said in a statement. "This position was most recently expressed to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency."

Austria expressed support for an EU statement along with other countries in March.

"Iran already accumulated more than six significant quantities of 60% enriched material [which the Agency defines as the approximate amount of nuclear material for which the possibility of manufacturing a nuclear explosive device cannot be excluded] and is currently producing one significant quantity of highly enriched uranium every month," noted the EU statement.

The EU statement added that "All these actions carry very significant proliferation-related risks and raise grave concerns about Iran’s intentions, since they have no credible civilian justification. In this context, the EU remains concerned by statements made by Iranian officials about Iran’s capacity to assemble a nuclear weapon."

The shocking Austrian intelligence findings contradict the assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies that Iran has yet to begin a weapons program, but has "undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so." There have long been conflicting views (between U.S. intelligence agencies and European intelligence services) over Iran’s illegal nuclear weapons program.

The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the Austrian report.

"President Trump is committed to Iran never obtaining a nuclear weapon or the capacity to build one," a White House official said.

The Austrian report coincides with a new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report. The AP reported on Saturday that Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, a confidential report by the UN nuclear watchdog said Saturday and called on Tehran to urgently change course and comply with the agency’s probe.

The report comes at a sensitive time as Tehran and Washington have been holding several rounds of talks in the past weeks over a possible nuclear deal that U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to reach.

IRAN'S KHAMENEI SAYS AMERICANS SHOULD AVOID TALKING 'NONSENSE' IN NUKE TALKS

The report by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency says that as of May 17, Iran has amassed 408.6 kilograms (900.8 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60%.

That material is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. A report in February put the stockpile at 274.8 kilograms (605.8 pounds).

The IAEA report raised a stern warning, saying that Iran is now "the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such material" — something the agency said was of "serious concern."

In February, Fox News Digital reported that the IAEA said Iran has sufficient enriched uranium to manufacture six nuclear weapons.

US AND IRAN CLASH OVER URANIUM ENRICHMENT AS NUCLEAR TALKS RESUME IN ROME

"The Islamic Republic is the standard-bearer of deception and stonewalling. Today’s damning IAEA reports confirm how Iran has been in violation of the NPT [Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty] for years, even when the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] was in effect. It shows the regime cannot be trusted with any diplomatic agreement," said Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI).

The JCPOA is the formal name for the Iran nuclear deal that was concluded between the Obama administration and Iran. President Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 because, his administration said at the time, the deal did not prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons.

"I think Iran’s regime’s response to Austria’s findings shows its sensitivity over these matters," Brodsky said. "It also wants to bully Austria. Austria should force the Iranian regime to decrease the size of its embassy in Vienna which it has long used as a hub for malign intelligence collection and operations throughout Europe."

The clerical regime’s foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, posted on his X account a statement in response to the Fox News Digital report.

"Media is speculating about an imminent Iran-U.S. deal. Not sure if we are there yet," he wrote. "Iran is sincere about a diplomatic solution that will serve the interests of all sides.

"But getting there requires an agreement that will fully terminate all sanctions and uphold Iran's nuclear rights—including enrichment. Path to a deal goes through the negotiating table and not the media."

The U.S. talks to dismantle Iran’s illicit atomic weapons program coincides with a nationwide truckers’ strike in Iran. The widespread labor unrest could severely weaken the regime, according to Iran experts.

The exiled crown prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, who lives in the U.S, called on U.S. labor unions to stand with Iranian truckers.

 "Truck drivers and workers across Iran are on strike and are putting their lives on the line to fight for their rights and for a better future for their families," Pahlavi, who lives in the U.S, wrote on X. "Now, they are being jailed and threatened for posting photos and videos of their strike. Only in a free Iran will all workers have the right to freely and openly organize. I invite you, labor unions and leaders, to stand with your fellow workers in Iran and show your solidarity."

President Trump's shadow is cast over this Sunday's presidential election runoff election, with polls showing a tight race between Warsaw’s mayor, Rafał Trzaskowski, and his conservative challenger, Karol Nawrocki. 

The Associated Press reported that Donald Trump met with Nawrocki at the White House earlier this month and sent DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to a meeting of CPAC in Poland, where she offered an endorsement.

Speaking in support of Nawrocki, Noem said he would rule in the style of President Trump. "I just had the opportunity to meet with Karol and listen. He needs to be the next president of Poland. Do you understand me?" she said.

"This is arguably the most important Polish presidential election since the end of communism, not only because the contest is so close, but because there is a palpable sense in Warsaw of how dangerous the country’s security situation has become, with the ongoing war in Ukraine and Russian revisionism in full view," Andrew Michta, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center, told Fox News Digital.

POLISH PARTY LEADERS MAKE FINAL APPEALS TO VOTERS AS CLOSE ELECTION NEARS

Trzaskowski, backed by the current prime minister, Donald Tusk, received 31.4% of the vote in the first round. Nawrocki, a historian supported by the right-wing populist Law and Justice party (PiS), performed better than expected and was close behind with 29.5% of the vote.

Most experts and observers in the region view the race as a toss-up.

"Nawrocki has a good chance of winning the election. This would clearly demonstrate the Polish people's desire to counter the current government's liberal politics," Stanisław Żaryn, Advisor to Poland's current President Andrzej Duda, told Fox News Digital.

The conservative Law and Justice party recruited Nawrocki, an outsider with no prior political experience, to be its candidate for president to replace outgoing President Duda, a close ally of President Trump. The Law and Justice Party governed Poland from 2015 to 2023, until it lost parliamentary elections led by Donald Tusk’s center-left Civic Platform coalition.

Although the Polish president is nominally symbolic, the president does wield the power to veto legislation passed by parliament, which could derail the incumbent government's domestic agenda if the president is of a different party from the prime minister.

Matthew Tyrmand, a U.S.-based Polish dual citizen who advises conservative sovereignty-defending political figures and parties across Europe, told Fox News Digital from Europe, "We in Poland, who saw the previous unchecked PO (Tusk’s party) government from 2010-15, know how this ends if Tusk’s puppet candidate Trzaskowski ends up securing the presidency in the runoff. Poland’s tightened alignment with the EU will come at the expense of previously strong ties with the USA and the previous and now returned Trump administration. This will weaken Poland militarily and economically.

"This runoff is existential for Poland maintaining its multi-party democracy with the existent check and balance of the last 15 years of having, in essence, a two-party duopoly. The right-wing president, Andrzej Duda, has been the one check given his veto power to reject the Tusk government’s agenda since the country’s government turned over in late 2023 toward left-leaning (self-described and so-called by the compromised leftist media as centrist but in reality very left) Eurocentrists. If that veto is lost, Polish sovereignty will be a distant memory as Tusk devolves national competences toward Berlin and Brussels who have been his paymasters for nearly two decades, and he has been their ready, willing and able pliant stooge."
 

Duda utilized the veto power against Tusk while in office to strike down bills to restore independence to the judiciary, an issue that put Poland at odds with the European Union under the previous PiS government.

Nawrocki as president would likely continue the policies of Duda, further sinking Tusk's popularity as many in Poland feel that Tusk has not lived up to his campaign promises. 

POLAND SAYS MOSCOW IS 'MOCKING' TRUMP WITH DEADLY UKRAINE STRIKE

A win for Trzaskowski means Tusk will have the ability to drive his agenda, with the new president likely endorsing his proposals, laws and ambassadorships. A victory for Trzaskowski will also be received positively in Brussels as he is seen as pro-European and in line with the EU’s priorities of democratic governance and judicial independence. 

"If Nawrocki wins, expect a tough fight between the Tusk government and the President, as they are polar opposites on a number of issues, especially foreign policy," Michta of the Atlantic Council said.

ICONIC FORMER POLISH PRESIDENT MESSAGE TO LAWMAKERS ON UKRAINE: 'IF WE DON'T ACT NOW, WE WILL LOSE'

The Warsaw mayor favors closer ties with Brussels, Berlin and Paris but will also look to maintain stable relations with the U.S. Nawrocki, who met with President Trump and Republican leaders in Congress, would likely push for even closer relations with the U.S. 

While there is a rising number of voices that are critical of continuing support for Ukraine as the war drags on, no matter who wins, Poland’s foreign and defense policy and its support for Ukraine in its war against Russia is unlikely to change. 

Poland has been one of Ukraine’s toughest backers in Europe, providing 5 billion euros worth of overall aid, including nearly 4 billion euros in military aid, since the war began.

Since the European refugee crisis of 2015, Poland has taken a tougher stance on immigration, particularly from the Middle East. Poland has been much more welcoming to Ukrainian's fleeing Russian aggression. Poland has taken in more than 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees since Russian launched its invasion in February 2022.

Matt Qvortrup, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for European Studies at the Australian National University, said a Nawrocki win would be a roadblock to further European integration with another leader critical of Europe taking power.

"A win for Nawrocki would be unwelcome for the leaders in the most powerful EU countries, especially in Germany. It's not the signal they would want," Qvortrup told Fox News Digital.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.