Israel slams UN report as 'political blood libel' for alleging deliberate targeting of Palestinian children

Israel reacted angrily over a new United Nations’ Commission of Inquiry report alleging the Jewish state had engaged in the "deliberate targeting of Palestinian children."

Prior reports from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem, and Israel garnered accusations of antisemitism and incitement to violence.

The latest report, released Wednesday, said that, "based on the evidence reviewed, and consistent with its previous reports, the Commission finds on reasonable grounds that the Israeli authorities and the Israeli security forces have continued to commit the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Gaza Strip and war crimes in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem."

UN EXPERT REPEATS ISRAEL 'GENOCIDE' CLAIMS AFTER US CALLS FOR HER REMOVAL

Israel's Ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, told Fox News Digital that "this is not an investigative report. It is a political blood libel disguised as a U.N. document. This commission reaches its conclusions before examining the facts and repeatedly publishes reports that serve one purpose only: to vilify Israel. Instead of addressing Hamas' crimes, the October 7 massacre, the hostages, and Hamas' cynical use of children and civilians as human shields, the commission has once again chosen to place Israel in the dock."

Danon added that "Israel will continue to defend its citizens and fight terrorism, regardless of how many false reports are published by fringe actors within U.N. institutions."

Representatives from the COI and Human Rights Council did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment on the concerns addressed about the report.

Asked for a reaction from U.N. chief Antonio Guterres to the report, his spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, told Fox News Digital "it’s not his report to comment on."

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

Srinivasan Muralidhar, Chair of the Commission told reporters during a press briefing that, "The evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by the Israeli security forces." He said "Even after the October 2025 ceasefire, children continue to be killed and seriously injured, with continued disregard by Israel for the ceasefire and for the protection owed to Palestinian children under international law."

SIGN UP FOR ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED NEWSLETTER

Anne Bayefsky, President of Human Rights Voices and Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, told Fox News Digital that the COI’s "sham ‘inquiry’ makes the totally unjustified claim of legal authority, while at the same time systematically violating every conceivable legal rule of fairness, impartiality, and due process. Since its creation in 2021, every call for submissions, every consultation and every hearing held, has been contrived to take seriously the allegations of only one side – trashing literally millions of data points both historical and current to the contrary."

She said, "the first COI report focused on children…fails to even mention the sickening murders of 9-month-old Kfir Bibas and 4-year-old Ariel Bibas." She says that "also ignored in the COI report are the hundreds of thousands of Israeli children traumatized by October 7th, by the subsequent mass displacement, and by the excruciating longing for parents absent while defending their country against an inhumane foe."

NETANYAHU SHOWS PICTURE OF BIBAS FAMILY AT COMBAT OFFICERS’ GRADUATION: ‘REMEMBER WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR'

Bayefsky complained that though the current COI report "was produced weeks ago," the COI members "deliberately withheld" the report when appearing to discuss it before the Human Rights Council last week. "They didn’t publish it until June 23, minutes prior to holding a stage-managed press conference designed to avoid accountability for their wild, unverified accusations," she claimed.

Another member of the commission told reporters in Geneva that, "There can be no doubt in anyone who reads today’s report that every international legal norm has been violated by the actions of the Israeli authorities towards Palestinian children and they need to be held accountable."

Jonathan Conricus, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, told Fox News Digital that the latest report contains "no evidence to support any of the claims against Israel" and is filled with "inconsistencies in methodology."

He said the report represents "an escalation, and it marks maybe the most severe attempt by the U.N. ecosystem to delegitimize Israel."

Salo Aizenberg, director of media watchdog group HonestReporting, who has researched and debunked many of the claims made by those claiming genocide in Gaza, told Fox News Digital that the COI’s "report is built on a fictional battlefield where Hamas and [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] do not exist, and where hospitals are treated as purely civilian spaces despite extensive evidence of their military use and infiltration by Hamas operatives. It then accuses Israel of deliberately targeting children without producing a single incident supported by evidence of intent."

Conricus said the report erases "Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from the battlefield to create the false kind of perception that Israel was operating out of wanton aggression in a vacuum without there ever being a need for Israeli operations and this is a reoccurring theme." He also noted that this report and others "use the statements of medical professionals as evidence, even when it's way beyond their medical expertise, specifically when it comes to how wounds were inflicted."

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/q2hu5nU

Trump says Venezuela earthquakes left 'devastating number of deaths' as US readies aid

President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela had caused what he described as "a devastating number of deaths" as officials continued assessing the extent of the disaster.

Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodríguez later said at least 32 people were killed and more than 700 were injured in the earthquakes, marking the country's first official casualty figures.

Trump's comments came after back-to-back earthquakes rocked Venezuela earlier Wednesday, causing widespread damage, including in the capital of Caracas, where buildings were damaged, and rescue crews searched through rubble.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the pair of "massive" earthquakes had caused widespread devastation.

PLAYERS, FANS FLEE STADIUM AS POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES STRIKE DURING VENEZUELA BASEBALL GAME

"The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths," Trump wrote.

Trump said the United States was prepared to assist with the ongoing response.

"The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help!" Trump said. "I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly. We will be there for our new and great friends."

Trump added that early reports from Venezuela were "not good."

US RENEWS 'DO NOT TRAVEL' ALERT OVER TERRORISM, KIDNAPPING AMID TRUMP NARCO-TERROR FIGHT

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, an initial magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck at 6:04 p.m. ET, with its epicenter about 15 miles east-northeast of San Felipe.

Just 39 seconds later, a magnitude 7.5 quake struck with its epicenter about 14 miles southeast of Yumare.

"High casualties and extensive damage are probable, and the disaster is likely widespread," the USGS said in a rare red alert statement.

TRUMP ISSUES DIRECT WARNING TO VENEZUELA'S NEW LEADER DELCY RODRÍGUEZ FOLLOWING MADURO CAPTURE

Officials said the earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.

Rodríguez declared a state of emergency Wednesday after the earthquakes, which were followed by nearly two dozen aftershocks.

In a televised address later that day, Rodríguez urged Venezuelans to remain calm.

"We urge our population to remain calm," Rodríguez said. "We urge unity."

VENEZUELA RELEASES ALL KNOWN AMERICAN DETAINEES FOLLOWING MADURO CAPTURE AND GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER

On Thursday, Rodríguez announced that at least 32 people had been killed and more than 700 others injured in the earthquakes.

"We urge our population to remain calm," Rodríguez said. "We urge unity."

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X that American officials were in contact with Venezuelan authorities and working to deliver assistance to the South American nation.

VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER MARÍA MACHADO HAS URGENT MESSAGE FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP

"The U.S. stands with the Venezuelan people in the aftermath of this evening's devastating earthquakes," he wrote. "We're in touch with the authorities and mobilizing assistance."

The State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said it was tracking developments following the powerful earthquakes.

"The U.S. Government is closely monitoring the aftermath of a large earthquake in Venezuela," the bureau said in a statement.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and are committed to supporting the people of Venezuela during this difficult time," the statement continued.

The bureau also urged U.S. citizens in Venezuela to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and monitor embassy updates.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/qG8P0Ul

Shark attack survivor wakes from 10-day coma and shares first words with family at her hospital bedside

After spending 10 days in an induced coma following a shark attack on a Sydney, Australia beach, a woman uttered her first three words this week.

Leah Stewart awoke and told her family, "I love you" on Tuesday while recuperating at a hospital, according to her brother, who wrote the update on a fundraising page.

"After a week of life-support and repeat[ed] surgeries, doctors were able to extubate Leah and reduce her level of sedation to bring her out of the induced coma for a short period of time," Stewart said. "This allowed Leah to share her first words ‘I love you’ with her Mum and partner Fernando who have been by her side in ICU since the incident."

He added that his sister’s "first thoughts were with her daughter August," asking if she was OK.

SHARK ATTACK TURNS HOLIDAY BOATING TRIP INTO BLOODY FIGHT FOR TEEN'S SURVIVAL

The mid-30s mother and teacher has already been through five surgeries, including having an arm amputated.

She had been airlifted to a hospital in critical condition on the morning of June 13 at Coogee Beach, a popular weekend destination, after a shark bit her legs and arms.

HEART-POUNDING VIDEO SHOWS FISHERMAN LEAPING INTO OCEAN TO SAVE GREAT WHITE SHARK

Stewart was swimming near shore while a friend watched her daughter on the beach when the attack happened, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

"This is a lot faster than anyone expected, and for us this feels like a miracle and is everything so many of us have hoped and prayed for over the past week," Stewart wrote on a fundraising page.

He added, "Leah has a long road ahead and still remains in critical care, but this is such a positive first step and gives us hope for Leah’s long-term recovery."

Stewart’s attack came after three men have been killed by sharks in Australia since May. A 12-year-old boy was also killed by a shark in Sydney Harbor in January.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/uh4FApg

Colombia's 'El Tigre' secures presidency as leftist rival finally concedes defeat

Progressive candidate Iván Cepeda on Wednesday conceded Colombia’s presidential election to conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump.

The concession came days after Cepeda initially refused to acknowledge defeat following preliminary results that showed de la Espriella as the apparent winner. 

"At this stage of the vote count, I have decided to accept the result emerging from that process, which indicates that Abelardo de la Espriella is the new President of the Republic," Cepeda said in an address to the nation. 

"I do so as an act of democratic responsibility."

TRUMP SAYS COLOMBIA'S 'EL TIGRE' WILL BE A 'GREAT PRESIDENT' AS SOCIALIST OPPONENT LAUNCHES LEGAL CHALLENGE

De la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer who had never previously run for office, known to his supporters as "El Tigre," defeated Senate member Iván Cepeda by one percentage point in a remarkably close election, according to officials. 

"The vote count shows an extraordinarily narrow margin between the two options vying for the trust of the Colombian people," he said. "Less than 1% of the vote separates the candidacies that participated in this contest."

Despite his concession, Cepeda made serious allegations that de la Espriella’s victory was influenced by "foreign interference" by the United States and the use of artificial intelligence to manipulate voters. 

"During this process, we denounced the open and improper foreign interference in Colombia's internal affairs—particularly the interventions by the United States government, and specifically the interventions by President Donald Trump in support of Abelardo de la Espriella's candidacy," he said. 

He further accused the opposing campaign of widespread vote-buying and unethical tactics that he said undermined the legitimacy of the election results.

ANTI-CARTEL HARDLINER CHANNELS TRUMP IN BID TO END COLOMBIA'S LEFTIST ERA IN PIVOTAL ELECTION

President-elect de la Espriella will begin his four-year term in August.

"Starting August 7, we will work with determination to consolidate a common agenda that strengthens the security, freedom, and prosperity of our nations," de la Espriella in a post on X. 

The result will effectively end outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s leftist influence on the state and the policies Cepeda had pledged to continue if he won the election.

A core pillar of Petro’s signature agenda was his "total peace" strategy, aimed at opening negotiations with remaining guerrilla forces, drug cartels, and armed paramilitary groups in an effort to end Colombia’s decades long internal conflict. 

In contrast, de la Espriella has pledged a more hardline approach, including a militarized crackdown on criminal organizations, proposals to build mega-prisons, expand fossil fuel fracking, and revive the controversial practice of aerial glyphosate spraying to eradicate coca crops.

The president-elect, who holds dual Colombian and U.S. citizenship, has also said he plans to add Colombia to the Trump-dubbed "Shield of the Americas," a proposed coalition aimed at coordinating efforts against criminal groups in Latin America. 

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/hUbdrXI

Experts urge extreme caution on Iran's 'crown jewel' Hezbollah — terror group with US blood on its hands

Foreign policy experts are advising the Trump administration to continue to carefully watch Iran's behavior over its terror proxy Hezbollah — a group with American blood on its hands.

The importance of Hezbollah to the Tehran regime is clear in the comprehensive U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding. While the agreement does not mention the group by name, clause one of the 14-point MOU calls for the permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including the cessation of conflict in Lebanon.

Lisa Daftari, editor-in-chief, told Fox News Digital that, "Hezbollah isn't just the Iran regime’s most prized proxy; it's the crown jewel of the regime's forward defense. For almost five decades, the Islamic Republic has invested billions building Hezbollah into a forward-deployed missile arsenal aimed directly at Israel's heart." She said "Losing Hezbollah would hurt the mullahs more than losing the Strait of Hormuz or anything else in their arsenal. That's why Hezbollah is clause one," of the MOU. 

TOP SENATE REPUBLICAN RIPS INTO TRUMP'S IRAN DEAL, SAYS $300 BILLION MAKES OBAMA DEAL LOOK LIKE 'A PITTANCE'

Daftari said Hezbollah is "a forward-deployed arm of the IRGC Quds Force taking Lebanon hostage," She said that "the IRGC created Hezbollah in 1982, trained it, armed it, funded it, and to this day embeds Quds Force commanders inside its command structure. Treating them as separate organizations is a fiction Tehran exploits."

While the State Department didn’t answer Fox News Digital questions over concerns raised by critics regarding the administration’s handling of Hezbollah, Secretary of State Marco Rubio took a tough line on the terror group when asked by reporters in the United Arab Emirates Tuesday about Tehran's terror proxies and why Iran's ballistic missile program was left out of the recent Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MOU).

Rubio insisted that regional proxy threats are fundamentally covered by the framework. "I think a careful reading of the MOU will see that when you talk about, for example, a complete – an end of hostilities in the entire region, well, that’s not possible. You can’t have the end of hostilities and conflicts in the region as long as Iranian proxies are launching missiles and drones from Iraq and are participating in terrorism like Hamas did and like Hezbollah did. So I do think it’s covered by the MOU, and it is an issue that will be gotten to at the appropriate time in these negotiations."

Hezbollah was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. in 1997.  Bill Roggio, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense for Democracies (FDD) and editor of its Long War Journal, told Fox News Digital that "Hezbollah has a five-decade-long track record of killing Americans, starting with the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut in 1983, attacks on U.S. embassies and airplane hijackings."

Roggio said the efforts "continue to this day," with Hezbollah playing "a key role in establishing, training, advising and supporting the Iraqi militias, which are responsible for killing more than 600 American soldiers. Hezbollah also trained al Qaeda to use suicide car bombs, which it implemented in the 1998 suicide attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and perfected in theaters such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia." 

In May 2025, A U.S. District Court determined that the torture of Lebanese American Amer Fakhoury was the responsibility of Iran, through its proxy Hezbollah. Fakhoury lost sixty pounds during a six-month period of captivity after being kidnapped by Hezbollah in Lebanon in September 2019. He died six months after his return to the U.S. of cancer that was diagnosed in prison in Lebanon.

FAMILY OF AMERICAN HOSTAGE TORTURED IN LEBANON WINS LANDMARK CASE AGAINST IRAN

Zoya and Guila Fakhoury, Amer’s daughters and co-founders of the Amer Foundation, told Fox News Digital that their "family wants to see a peaceful, sovereign, and prosperous Lebanon" and welcomes "any effort that genuinely reduces violence and helps Lebanon move toward stability."

The Fakhoury's said that "lasting peace cannot come at the expense of accountability. True stability in Lebanon requires ensuring that terrorist organizations like Hezbollah no longer hold the power to intimidate, detain, and silence innocent people."

They expressed disappointment that there has been "little public focus on the Americans who remain unjustly detained by the Iranian regime." They added that "Any meaningful agreement with Iran should include concrete progress toward bringing every wrongfully detained American home."

A U.S. official told Fox News Digital that "The Trump Administration is committed to securing the release of all Americans unjustly detained in Iran and around the world. The Iranian regime has a long and shameful history of unjustly detaining U.S. nationals and other foreign citizens. The Iranian regime should immediately release all Americans unjustly detained in Iran.  To ensure the safety and security and security of those Americans, we have nothing further to share at this time."

As talks brokered by the U.S. between Lebanese and Israeli officials resumed in Washington, the Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, released a statement on his X account Tuesday, thanking the Vice President and Secretary of State, stating in part "for the attention that the United States is showing toward Lebanon, aimed at ending the war there, strengthening the authority of the Lebanese state, and the independence of its decision-making, considering it solely responsible for preserving national sovereignty, the dignity of the Lebanese people, and their safety."

ISRAEL POUNDS HEZBOLLAH TARGETS, DARING LEBANON TO RECLAIM SOVEREIGNTY FROM IRAN-BACKED TERROR PROXY

Walid Phares, a foreign policy expert and author of ‘Iran: An Imperialist Republic and U.S. Policy,’ told Fox News Digital that it was "a major mistake…to give the Islamic regime in Iran a power to include Lebanon and Hezbollah in the talks. He warned that "putting Lebanon on the agenda of the talks with the regime in Switzerland could collapse the Washington, D.C. platform."

Pressed by reporters while in Kuwait on Wednesday about Israel's continued military presence, Rubio drew a firm line on the administration's expectations, stating its hope is "that the Lebanese Armed Forces and the legitimate, sovereign Lebanese government will continue to be able to control and secure more and more of their own territory - because that's who needs to control Lebanese territory, not a terrorist group like Hezbollah. So that's the goal. And I think the Israelis have been clear. They don't have any quarrels with the Lebanese people, they don't have any claims on the territory of Lebanon."

Jonathan Conricus, a former international spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, told Fox News Digital that "From an Israeli perspective, Hezbollah is not an organization that we can talk with or expect them to change their ways." He said that as a jihadi organization, "their primary objective in life is to wage holy war against the Jews, and then against Christians and against other what they consider to be infidels and Westerners. These are not people that you can negotiate or talk sense with."

Conricus, a senior fellow at the FDD, added that "there's a unique chance here to roll back Iranian aggression in the region and to dismantle the most important Iranian proxy Hezbollah." To do so, he called for "political pressure, information pressure and…economic pressure on Hezbollah [and] on all of its financial institutions."

A U.S. government official told Fox News Digital that "Secretary Rubio spoke to both [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] and Aoun on Friday about solidifying ceasefire and future talks. As a result of those calls, the U.S. started a monitoring mechanism via [U.S. Central Command] so that our policymakers have real-time and accurate information about fighting in Lebanon."

The Washington talks between Lebanon and Israel are expected to continue into Thursday.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/wisz1Yk

Kim Jong Un calls for North Korea to build 2 large warships per year in major naval expansion push: report

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called for a major expansion of the country's naval forces, suggesting the regime should build two large warships each year for the next five years.

Speaking at a commissioning ceremony for a new destroyer, Kim suggested North Korea should build two warships comparable in size to its 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class vessel each year over the next five years, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim was celebrating the deployment of the new multipurpose destroyer at the port of Nampho. In April, he observed launches of two cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from the vessel.

The destroyer successfully completed military operational tests over the past 14 months, according to KCNA.

KIM JONG UN OVERSEES CRUISE MISSILE LAUNCHES FROM PRIZED NEW NORTH KOREAN WARSHIP

Kim previously hailed the development of the Choe Hyon as a major step toward expanding the operational reach and preemptive strike capabilities of North Korea's military.

Kim also said the navy's nuclearization is "advancing along its own course," contributing to the country's nuclear deterrence.

The naval buildup comes as Kim seeks to strengthen what analysts have long viewed as one of the weaker branches of North Korea's military.

NORTH KOREA RELAUNCHES WARSHIP THAT SUFFERED EMBARRASSING FAILURE DURING INITIAL LAUNCH

KCNA reported that Kim intends to deploy another 5,000-ton destroyer, the Kang Kon, along with larger 10,000-ton strategic warships.

The Kang Kon was first unveiled in May of last year but was damaged during a failed launch at the northern port city of Chongjin. The vessel was later relaunched following repairs.

By adding new capabilities, North Korea's navy would become "something incredible beyond imagination," Kim said.

NORTH KOREA RELEASES IMAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE

"Building a modernized naval base has ​emerged as a ​desperate and ⁠essential task," he added.

State media reported that Kim is also reviewing plans to construct new naval bases.

Speaking during a meeting of the Workers' Party's Central Committee on Monday, Kim said the navy would undergo changes to its status, role and scope of operations.

He did not elaborate on what those changes would entail.

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman-Diamond and Reuters contributed to this report.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/vgcGj3t

Turkey detains over 200 suspects including alleged ISIS militants in sweeping raid ahead of NATO summit

Turkish authorities reportedly detained more than 200 people, including suspected ISIS-linked militants, in a sweeping Tuesday raid in capital Ankara ahead of a July 7-8 NATO summit.

The raid came after Turkish authorities issued detention orders for 241 suspects, 209 of whom were taken into custody, The Associated Press reported, citing a statement from the office of Turkey's chief prosecutor.

Among the 209 detained, 56 were allegedly ISIS militants, according to the AP. This comes after Turkish authorities said they detained 125 ISIS members in December.

The detention operations occurred just two weeks before a planned NATO summit in Ankara on July 7 that President Donald Trump is expected to attend.

TURKEY’S NATO ROLE UNDER SCRUTINY AMID NEW REPORT ON HAMAS, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD TIES

Other militants scooped up were 35 alleged members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front, which a Turkish statement described as "a far‑left group known for armed attacks and assassinations in Turkey," according to the AP.

The ISIS-combating operations demonstrate the terrorist group's ongoing activity in the region, showing the group is still functioning despite the U.S. campaign during Trump's first term to eliminate the group's caliphate and its control of large swaths of territory in the Middle East.

In recent years, ISIS has spread into the African continent, prompting a strong response from the U.S. In May, Trump authorized a series of strikes in Nigeria to combat the group.

PENTAGON SLASHES NATO COMBAT COMMITMENTS AS TRUMP PUSHES EUROPE TO DEFEND ITSELF

A May 16 strike killed ISIS leader Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, who was the group's second-in-command globally.

"Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social after the strike. "He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans."

The group's renewed activity also includes a call to supporters to make attacks on U.S. soil during the World Cup.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/W58G3DS