EXCLUSIVE: Planned Parenthood is set to shutter its last two Louisiana facilities next month, a move pro-life advocates say represents "success" amid efforts to shut down the organization.In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, 40 Days for Life CEO and founder Shawn Carney said the closure of the clinics is a "huge victory" for the entire pro-life movement and his organization, which has prayed and held vigils outside Planned Parenthood facilities for roughly 20 years."The only remaining Planned Parenthoods in the state of Louisiana, in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, are closing because they can't do abortions there," Carney said. "Planned Parenthood survives financially on abortions, and they survive financially on the American taxpayer. This is a huge success for the pro-life movement."Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast which runs six clinics in the Houston, Texas, area and two in Louisiana announced it will close its Baton Rouge and New Orleans clinics on Sept. 30.PRO-LIFE GROUP 'ELATED' AFTER PLANNED PARENTHOOD SHUTTERS HOUSTON FACILITIES: 'TREMENDOUS VICTORY'Planned Parenthood previously announced the closure of the Prevention Park and Southwest centers in the Houston area, one of which was the largest abortion facility in the Western Hemisphere. The remaining Houston facilities will be acquired by the organization's largest Texas affiliate.Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast President Melaney Linton said in a statement that the closures in Louisiana are a "direct result of relentless political assaults.""This is not a decision we wanted to make; it is one we were forced into by political warfare," she wrote. "Anti-reproductive health lawmakers obsessed with power and control have spent decades fighting the concept that people deserve to control their own bodies."Linton said "extremist" Republican lawmakers have done everything in their power to defund Planned Parenthood, adding: "Every health center closure, every patient who goes without care, every undetected cancer and untreated infection is on those lawmakers hands."Facilities in GOP-led states with abortion restrictions, including Louisiana and Texas, have also been forced to cease the procedures following the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe V. Wade and returned the power to make laws regarding abortion back to the states.GOP officials in recent years have made repeated attempts to shut down Planned Parenthood, even after nearly all abortions were banned under state law in Louisiana and Texas, as well as other Republican-controlled states.Louisiana Republican Gov. Jeff Landry wrote on X that the Planned Parenthood closures in his state mark a "major win for the pro-life movement" in his state, adding that he has fought to "rid our state of this failed organization" and that abortion "should NEVER be considered healthcare."The state's Attorney General Liz Murrill, also a Republican, wrote that the Planned Parenthood clinic closures are "welcome news.""Planned Parenthood built its business around promoting death. Louisiana chooses life. We will always protect women and babies," she wrote.While Planned Parenthood is not allowed to provide abortion procedures in Louisiana, it has helped women access out-of-state abortions.EX-PLANNED PARENTHOOD DIRECTOR CELEBRATES CLOSURE OF HOUSTON FACILITIES: 'NOT SHOCKING'Planned Parenthood facilities have been shuttering in various states across the country, including California and New York, where the organization is selling its only Manhattan health center building for $39 million."This will be the 40th Planned Parenthood to close in 2025," Carney said. I suspect before September 30, which is the end of their fiscal year, that we will see about 25 to 30 more Planned Parenthoods close, maybe more."The Trump administration has sought to impose funding cuts to Planned Parenthood that could lead to the closure of additional facilities. A provision in a GOP-backed spending bill would end Medicaid payments for one year to abortion providers that received more than $800,000 from the program in 2023, although that provision is facing legal challenges and has been blocked, at least for now, by a federal judge."Planned Parenthood is in the worst shape in their entire history, and they were before the fall of Roe V. Wade and before their defunding," Carney said.Carney predicted that Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country will continue to merge, just as Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast is set to do. Former Planned Parenthood clinic director turned pro-life activist Abby Johnson recently made a similar prediction in an interview with Fox News Digital."The suffering ones, like Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, will end up merging with some of these other affiliates that they used to just compete against for abortion numbers," Carney said. "I think you'll see these closures lead to them not rebuilding, but just going away in some parts of the country and merging with other affiliates throughout the rest of America.""If they're a nonprofit, they can go out and do what all nonprofits do, what we do and churches do, and that's go out and raise money," he continued. "And if people want to support your mission, they will. You shouldn't be dependent on the federal government, and this just highlighted how dependent they were."Carney also noted that Planned Parenthood lost 78,000 individual donors last year, emphasizing that the organization is not only at risk of potentially losing public funding.Addressing Planned Parenthood's claim that abortions make up only 3% of its services, Carney said that is "complete garbage" and pointed to the shuttering of facilities in Republican-controlled states with abortion bans."It's like McDonald's saying that only 3% of their business is selling french fries," he said. "If that were true, they wouldn't be closing all these facilities in pro-life states where you can't do abortions. So that's hardly believable anymore in 2025."

A 700-year-old sword was recently reeled in by a fisherman in Poland offering a rare glimpse into warfare in the Middle Ages.The discovery was announced by the Capital Conservator of Monuments in Warsaw last month.In a Facebook post, the department said the lucky angler found the sword in the Vistula River.WORKERS DISCOVER 18TH-CENTURY VESSEL WHILE INSTALLING PIPELINE IN MEDIEVAL 'GAME OF THRONES' CITY"It was supposed to be this big a fish but it turned out to be this big a sword!" the post read."As you can see, the Vistula hides some real treasures."The fisherman surrendered the sword to local authorities, who transferred it to local experts.A team is now working to preserve the artifact for future study.The Facebook page's post noted that the sword is preserved "almost in its full length" and features both a spherical pommel and a cross mark on its grip.1,000-YEAR-OLD MEDIEVAL SWORD EMERGES FROM DUTCH RIVER AFTER CHANCE DISCOVERY: 'BARELY CORRODED'Anna Magdalena a, a chief specialist with the city of Warsaw, told Fox News Digital that experts are still studying the sword."The sword is dated to the 13th or 14th century, which is the time when Warsaw was founded," a noted in an email translated from Polish to English."A more precise date may be determined thanks to the cross mark, which is the signature of the blacksmith who made it," she added. "Research is ongoing."She said the length of the sword, including the hilt, is over 31 inches.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER"I dont know the weight, but the sword is quite light because [of a] very large extent of corrosion," a said."A sword this old, found in what is now Warsaw, is unique."The circumstances of why the sword was dropped in the river are now lost to time.For more Lifestyle articles, visit foxnews.com/lifestylea noted that swords were not deposited ritually in 13th-century Poland; they were more of a pagan tradition than a Christian one.She concluded, "The sword was found in a river, meaning it was discovered without context that is, without other artifacts that could tell us more about it."The weapon is one of many fascinating archaeological discoveries made in Poland this year.In Gdask, Poland, archaeologists recently found a medieval knight's tomb beneath a former ice cream parlor.Months earlier, a pair of pedestrians found a 2,500-year-old dagger on a Polish beach, on the coast of the Baltic Sea.

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin appear to be on track to soon have their first meeting since Trump took office for his second term earlier this year."At the suggestion of the American side, it has been agreed in principle to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level in the coming days," Putins foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov noted, according to the Associated Press."We propose, first of all, to focus on preparing a bilateral meeting with Trump, and we consider it most important that this meeting be successful and productive," he said, according to the outlet.TRUMP OPEN TO MEET PUTIN FACE-TO-FACE NEXT WEEK FOLLOWED BY THREE-WAY TALKS WITH UKRAINE'S ZELENSKYYFox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment early on Thursday morning.The potential meeting would come as President Trump has been trying to help broker an end to the years-long Russia-Ukraine war.TRUMP HAILS HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE TALKS WITH PUTIN DESPITE NO CEASEFIRE, SECONDARY TARIFFS STILL ON"My Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, just had a highly productive meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Great progress was made!" Trump declared in a Wednesday post on Truth Social."Afterwards, I updated some of our European Allies. Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"RUSSIA, CHINA PRACTICE DESTROYING ENEMY SUBMARINE IN NAVAL DRILL AFTER TRUMP MOVES US NUCLEAR ASSETSWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted, "As President Trump said earlier today on TRUTH Social, great progress was made during Special Envoy Witkoffs meeting with President Putin. The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky. President Trump wants this brutal war to end."Fox News Channel's Peter Doocy contributed to this report

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., suggested that New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani represents the "new generation" of leaders young Democrats are looking for.From his past condemnations of police to his defense of people using the phrase "Globalize the Intifada," Mamdanis record of far-left statements has put both Republicans and Democrats on high alert.Slotkin spoke to NBC Newscorrespondent Julie Tsirkin after her town hall on Monday night. While Tsirkin noted that the crowd was "overwhelmingly composed of White seniors and older voters," Slotkin made repeated overtures to the economic concerns of young people.NEW YORK DEMOCRAT SAYS MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI 'TOO EXTREME TO LEAD'"I think this is the existential issue of our time, a shrinking middle class and this idea that young people feel like theyve done everything right, and they dont have the same opportunities that their parents had, and they feel frustration about that," Slotkin told the correspondent."And then the second thing is they want to see a new generation of leadership. I mean, Im 49 years old, so Im a good deal older than a lot of our youngest voters, and Im like the spring chicken in the Senate. So they dont see themselves in elected leadership," she added.Tsirkin also asked if the prominence of the cost of living issue is why Mamdani won such a surprising victory in New York."Yeah," Slotkin agreed. "I've said very openly that I don't I never would be called an expert on New York City politics, but the two messages were like a blinking red light. How can you miss them? People are still extremely focused on the cost of living and how they can't get ahead. Still the motivating issue, and then number two, they want that new generation of leadership."CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE"I may not agree with a number of things that Mr. Mamdani is proposing, but its hard to miss the message of that election, which I think was very similar, frankly, to the election we had in November," she added. "Cost of living is still the biggest issue for people that I talked to."

In Tuesdays "Morning Glory" column, I laid out a small part of the abuses perpetrated on farmers, ranchers and landowners by the application of the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) to private property by the 9,000 bureaucrats of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS.)The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has another 12,000 bureaucrats and they regulate marine species. The USFWS is by far the worst offender of private property rights, but NOAA as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also contribute to the giant, tangled tumbleweed of regulations, rules, "guidance," incompetence and environmental extremism that have paralyzed major infrastructure projects as well home and apartment buildingprojects across the country.Three executive orders from President Trump would greatly assist the farmers, ranchers and landowners who have been shut down from using their land in whole or part because of the listing of one or more of the 1,300 species and subspecies listed as "endangered" or "threatened" by the USFWS and NOAA.MORNING GLORY: MEMO FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP, SECRETARY BURGUM AND DIRECTOR NESVIKThe first EO would direct Secretary Burgum to immediately remove from the list of "endangered" or "threatened" species and subspecies all mammals, birds, crustaceans and insects that were added to the list because of the application of the criteria that looks at the "projecteddecline" in "critical habitat" or "occupied or potentially occupied habitat." This criteria for declaring a species or subspecies on the basis of "projected decline" of its habitat is guesswork, not "science," and the application of this criteria has been repeatedly abused by bureaucrats for the past three decades.A species or subspecies is considered "endangered" when it is in "imminent" danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. A "threatened species" is one that is liable to become endangered in theforeseeablefuture. Both the terms "imminent" and "foreseeable" are accordion terms that can be stretched to absurd limits. The USFWS has done so, again and again.Whenthe ESA passed in 1973 there were 78 species or subspecies listed as "endangered" or "threatened." Now there are 1,300. This extraordinary rise in the number of "protected" species is because the Service began using "projected future decline" in a species or subspecies range. Every species or subspecies that is on the list because of projected loss of habitat should be immediately removed from the list. Such "projections" are not "science" and indeed are often absurdly applied to achieve listing status.Very often the USFWS doesnt even account for permanently set aside parks and open spaces in its calculations of "projected habitat loss."If President Trump orders these removals from the ESA list be done immediately, he will focus the energy and budget of the bureaucracy on truly endangered and threatened species, and stop environmental extremists within the USFWS and NOAA and outside of those agencies from manipulating the list.The second executive order from President Trump should declare that private property impacted by ESA listings has been "taken" by the federal government and the owner must thus be compensated the fair market value of the land in question.The Constitution protects private property from uncompensated "takings," and the vast cost imposed by the ESA should be born by all taxpayers, not the few thousand landowners slammed by the Act.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONFinally, President Trump should order Secretary Burgum and USFWS DirectorBrian Nesvik to downsize both the USFWS and NOAA and do so on the basis of merit. Too many activists have infiltrated these agencies and use the ESA to block development, not protect species. They are also among the least responsive and most inefficient members of the federal workforce. It is long past time to clean house, beginning with new regional and area directors who are committed to the Constitutions explicit protection of private property, not their own private agendas or stopping development.The Pacific Legal Foundation does yeomans work to protect the rights of all landowners, including ranchers, farmers and developers, but the scale of this problem has been growing exponentially for decades. Secretary Burgum and Director Nesvik would do well to hire from within the Pacific Legal Foundation for their senior staffs. That way lies growth and true protection of genuinely endangered or threatened species. And if that protection requires the sequestration of private property for months or years, the landowner should be paid immediately for their lost economic value of their land, as the Fifth Amendment requires.Hugh Hewitt is a Fox News contributor, and host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show," heard weekdays from 3 pm to 6 pm ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh drives America home on the East Coast and to lunch on the West Coast on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channels news roundtable hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman Universitys Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990. Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcast, and this column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM HUGH HEWITT

By suing Mesa County DeputySheriffAlexander Zwink for sharing information about anillegalalienwith federal authorities,ColoradoAttorney General Phil Weiser is blatantly violating federal law.The Justice Department has already filed alawsuitto go after the state law he was enforcing, which violates a specific provision of federal immigration lawandthe U.S. Constitution.Notonly should that state law be declared nullandvoid by a federal court, but the twoColoradodeputiesandtheir supervisors whove been disciplined for this should be immediately reinstatedandcommended for their work.All of this arises out of Zwinkscooperationwith federal immigration agents as part of a drug task force. Zwink pulled over a Brazilian college student in a traffic stop.AMERICAS CRIME DROP ISNT A COINCIDENCE. TRUMPS IMMIGRATION POLICIES ARE WORKINGShortly thereafter, she was arrestedanddetained by federal authorities because Zwink had "shared her locationanda description of herandher vehicle in a group chat that included ICE agents." An "internal investigation" showed that another deputysheriffwho was involved in the task force had also horror of horrors "shared immigration information with federal agents."OMG! What a crime! What a dastardly deed! Local law enforcement cooperatingandsharing information aboutillegalaliens with the federal authorities responsible for enforcing federal immigration laws!The two deputies have been removed from the task force by Mesa CountySheriffTodd Rowellanddisciplined along with two supervisors,anda third supervisor who "received counseling" for these unimagined "crimes."TRUMP COULD SECURE HIS PLACE IN AMERICAN HISTORY WITH THIS BOLD IMMIGRATION REFORM STRATEGYAll of this is the result of aColoradostate lawsigned by pro-illegalimmigration Gov. Jared Polls that prohibits all government officials inColorado, including law enforcement agents, from sharing any information about anyaliens with federal immigration authorities.The problem with that state law among many others, including its effectonpublic safety is that it directly violates federal law.8 U.S.C. 1373specifically prohibits stateandlocal governments from in any way restricting "any government entity or official from sending to, or receiving from," the Department of Homeland Security, "information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual." Moreover, this federal statute also specifies that states cannot prohibit or restrict "exchanging such information with any other Federal, State, or local government entity."This is not a complicated federal law that is hard to understand. States likeColoradocannot prevent deputysheriffs like Alexander Zwink from doing exactly what he did: share information with federal authorities about analien.TRUMP'S BORDER ENFORCEMENT UNLEASHES NEW WEAPON AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATIONPerhapsWeisers law school didnt include a courseonConstitutional Law 101? If he had taken such a course, he would have learned about thesupremacy clause, which provides that the "Constitution,andthe Laws of the United States shall be the supreme Law of the Land;andthe Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding."Colorados law is a foolish, blatant violation of federal immigration lawanda clearandobvious violation of the supremacy clause. Any actions taken to discipline or otherwise punish local law enforcement officers for violating this reckless state statute are unlawfulanda violation of the officers rights.Its not just thatColorados sanctuary law violates federal law. It is reckless, because it intentionally allows criminalillegalaliens to remain in communities throughout the state.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONA horrible example of this is Luis Gusman-Rincon, a gang member whoenteredthe U.S.illegallyandwas convicted of attempted manslaughter in Arapahoe County,Colorado, after he shotandparalyzed a 16-year-old girl. He should have been handed over to ICE authorities so they could remove this dangerous criminal from the country after he had served his sentence. Instead, due to the states sanctuary policies, this gangster roamed the state for five years before ICE finally caught him.Or talk to the residents ofColoradoSpringsandAurora,where Colorados irresponsibleandrash policies have led to an infestation ofillegalgang members who areterrorizinglocal residents.It really is hard to overemphasize just how stupid it is for a state to go after its law enforcement officials for assisting the federal government in removingillegalaliens, many of whom are dangerous criminals, from the country.Hopefully, the Justice Department will succeed in its lawsuit against a state government that is, it seems, led by thoughtless politicians.Law enforcement agents like Alexander Zwinkandhis colleagues should be hailed as the type of professionals we want serving as police officers throughout the nation, not disciplinedandharassed for complying with a federal law designed to keep us safe.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM HANS VON SPAKOVSKY

Why Sydney Sweeney's "Jeans" Were a Brilliant Business Move for American EagleWhen Sydney Sweeney slipped into a pair of low-rise jeans for American Eagle, it wasnt just a nostalgic fashion throwbackit was a business masterstroke. Folks, sometimes a commercial is just a commercial! You want real shame. Try having mom literally bring home a pair of "husky" jeans for you to try on as a kid.Thats right. Three sizes. Small. Medium. And I dare say husky.Lets call this commercial what it was: bold, brilliant, and perfectly timed. In a retail landscape cluttered with uninspired influencer deals and recycled marketing campaigns, American Eagle made a bet on one of Gen Zs most bankable stars. And if the early numbersand stock movementare any indication, it paid off.And if you dont like the jeans or the company, dont buy them. Just like a few years ago, people stopped drinking Bud Light considering the Dylan Mulvaney commercials.The Power of Star PowerCelebrity endorsements are nothing new. Especially with jeans. Think back to the 1980s, when Brooke Shields famously uttered, "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins." That iconic Calvin Klein campaign sparked controversy, but it alsosent sales soaring. In the year following Shields campaign, Calvin Kleins denim division reportedly increased sales by over 300%. Stock in the parent company (then part of Phillips-Van Heusen) responded positively as the brand became synonymous with cool, youthful rebellion.SYDNEY SWEENEY 'JEANS' AD SIGNALS MAJOR CULTURAL TURNING POINT, INDUSTRY EXPERTS SAYFast-forward four decades, and Sydney Sweeney is pulling the same trickbut with a fresh twist. Her American Eagle adswhich showcased vintage Y2K aesthetics paired with body-positive messaginghit home with Gen Z and Millennials alike. This wasn't just about selling jeans; it was about owning a cultural moment.American Eagle: A Brand at a CrossroadsLets be clear: American Eagle wasnt flying high before this campaign. In the five years leading up to the Sweeney rollout, the company had struggled to capture attention in a market dominated by fast-fashion giants like Shein and online upstarts like Fashion Nova. Their core demographicyoung women aged 15 to 25was drifting.The stock price reflected this. American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO) traded as high as $38 in 2021 when stimulus cash flooded the market, but as recently as two months ago, it had dipped under $8.50 a share. Thats a painful 77% drop. Something had to change.Cue Sydney Sweeney. Could it possibly be like Michael Jordans infamous Mars Blackmon commercial with Nike where Mars says, "Its gotta be the shoes" and maybe this is just a take that "Its gotta be the jeans". Get it? We know its not the shoes and its not the jeans, but some people just have it and theres nothing wrong with celebrating it.The Stock Price Needs Main Streets Approval, Not Wall Street.And heres the part that matters to investors about these commercials: Main Street noticed. The President noticed. And if you were a shareholder last week for the first time, you are a very happy person today.On July 28ththe stock closed at $10.50 a share and in afterhours trading on August 4ththe stock was at $13.90 a share. We dont know if the stock will get back to its heyday of $38 a share, but like John McEnroe once famously said, "Good News. Bad News. At Least They Are Talking." And up to this point, not too many people have recently been talking about American Eagle.What Could Make This Ad Move A Stroke Of Brilliance?Critics might argue that celebrity campaigns are fleeting. And thats trueif you pick the wrong celebrity. But Sweeney isnt just famous. Shesrelatable. She's outspoken about body image, known for her business savvy, and resonates with both red and blue state America. But how quickly again the far left has turned on her over a commercial, shooting a gun, and being a registered republican. Her appeal crosses demographicsshe's as likely to show up on an Instagram fashion blog as she is in a conservative dads Google search history.The risk American Eagle took here wasnt just choosing Sweeneyit was embracing a style era (the early 2000s) that many thought was best left in the rearview mirror. Low-rise jeans are controversial. But controversy creates conversation, and in todays media landscape, conversation meansconversion.Lessons from the CampaignWeve seen other bold campaigns work wonders. Think Nike with Colin Kaepernickstock dropped initially but rebounded sharply as younger consumers rallied around the brand. Or Old Spices pivot with the "Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign, which turned a stale brand into a pop culture staple and doubled sales.But American Eagles play with Sweeney may prove even smarter. It walked the tightrope of edgy. It wasnt just an adit was a marketing strategy built for virality, engagement, and ultimately,stockholder return.Bottom LineIf you think marketing doesnt move markets, think again. Sydney Sweeneys jeans werent just the right pair of pantsthey were the rightpair of genesfor American Eagles DNA. In an era where attention and todays soundbite are the new currency, American Eagle cashed in. And if the company continues to lean into this cultural relevance with the same courage, the best may be yet to come.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to convene his high-level security cabinet on Thursday to discuss expanding the war against Hamas, including the potential full military occupation of the Gaza Strip.The prospect comes against the backdrop of the 20th anniversary of Israels full disengagement from the enclave, as calls for resettlement once confined to the political fringes have entered the mainstream, including within the government, particularly in the wake of Hamass Oct. 7 massacre.Rebuilding Jewish communities in Gaza would be "a historic correction to a national injustice," Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Israels minister for the Development of the Periphery, the Negev and the Galilee, told Fox News Digital.FOX NEWS GETS INSIDE LOOK AT GAZA HUMANITARIAN SITUATION AS ISRAEL WEIGHS NEXT STEPS"Expelling Jews from their homes in their own country was a strategic and moral mistake that led to the rise of an Islamist terrorist regime called Hamas," he said. "That mistake enabled Hamas to fire relentless rockets and ultimately carry out the October 7 massacre which included murder, rape, abuse, looting, and, of course, the kidnapping of soldiers and civilians."Wasserlauf invoked the bloc of 17 Israeli communities, collectively known as Gush Katif, which was established in Gaza after the 1967 Six-Day War. In August 2005, as part of Israelsunilateral disengagement, the government forcibly removed approximately 8,600 Jewish residents from the area.He said reapplying Israeli sovereignty "would send a clear message: whoever strikes us loses the ground beneath his feet. Only in this way can true deterrence be achieved," Wasserlauf continued. "We need to create facts on the ground. There must be no agreements with terrorists. Settlement in Gaza must, at the very least, be the price that reminds everyone terrorism does not pay."From 1948 to 1967, the Gaza Strip was under Egyptian occupation. After Israel captured the territory in the 1967 Six-Day War, it remained under full Israeli control until 1994, when administrative responsibility was transferred to the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo Accords paving the way for Yasser Arafats return from exile in Tunis.In 2005, Israel evacuated all military personnel and civilian communities from Gaza. Shortly thereafter, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections and staged a violent coup to overthrow the Palestinian Authority and seize control of the Strip.A year after Israel unilaterally disengaged from Gaza, evacuating all military personnel and civilian communities, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections and, shortly thereafter, staged a violent coup to overthrow the Palestinian Authority and seize control of the Strip.Wasserlauf argued that critics of the disengagement had long warned that any concession of land would only embolden terrorists. These warnings, he said, were ignored, but ultimately proven correct by the events that followed.He acknowledged that renewed settlement in Gaza would likely trigger political backlash both domestically and abroad. "The countries that support us will stand with us, and those that consistently oppose us will remain against us I remind you that there were countries that urged us not to strike Iran, despite its race toward nuclear weapons and its explicit goal of destroying Israel."BROTHER OF ISRAELI HOSTAGE URGES UN TO ACT AFTER VIDEO SHOWS HAMAS STARVING AND TORTURING CAPTIVESBrig. Gen. (Res.) Amir Avivi told Fox News Digital that Israels core national security doctrine of deterrence is being tested by jihadist groups like Hamas, which operate according to a radically different set of rules.Avivi, founder and chairman of the Israel Defense and Security Forum, said that Israel's approach to Gaza may ultimately hinge on U.S. support, especially from President Donald Trump. "Ifthe U.S. president advocates for massive relocation and taking control of Gaza to implement his own vision, it would suggest some kind of basic understanding between the two sides," Avivi said.He estimated that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) currently controls about 75% of Gaza, with past decisions largely driven by military considerations. However, he said that the remaining 25% of the territory involves broader strategic decisions, shaped by how Israel and the United States view the future of the area, including Jewish settlement.Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser, told Fox News Digital that resettling Gaza should not be part of Israel's agenda."We have one mission now, and that is to dismantle Hamas," he said. "Well talk about the day after, the day after. To bring back any level of normalcy to Gaza, we need to find partners and I dont know who those partners would be if we settle in Gaza."SHE FED 100K GAZAN FAMILIES FOR FREE NOW TERRORISTS AND LOCAL MERCHANTS WANT HER DEADAmidror, a distinguished fellow with the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, said that Israel must in the long-term remain solely responsible for security in Gaza, citing past failures when control was transferred to the Palestinians after the Oslo Accords. He argued that reestablishing settlements could complicate that mission, asserting that security should remain solely in the hands of the IDF.Religious Zionism lawmaker Simcha Rothman told Fox News Digital that "If we are trying to achieve peace,any agreement or situation in which Jews cannot live in their ancient homeland is not just," but acknowledged it is not one of Israels official war objectives. "While resettling Gaza is the right thing to do, it is not part of the current effort."Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin, former head of IDF Military Intelligence, reiterated that resettling Gaza is not part of the Israeli governments declared war objectives."If Israel needs to reoccupy Gaza militarily, it should be to destroy Hamas and bring back the hostages not to annex Gaza as part of Israel. There are 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, maybe more," Yadlin, who is currently president of MIND Israel, told Fox News Digital."Israel does not want to rule over them or provide for all their needs. It would cost billions and alter the demographic balance. This idea is being pushed by right-wing elements in the government, and even the prime minister and his party do not support it," he said.Daniella Weiss, general director of the Nachala Settlement Movement, told Fox News Digital that the aftermath of Hamass October 7 attack signals the start of a new era. "I think we should go much further than what existed in 2005. Back then, we were 10,000 people in Gaza. Our movement, Nachala, has proposed a plan for 1.2 million Jews in Gaza," Weiss said.She said her organization is already taking tangible steps to begin the process, "Weve organized six groups of young familiesmore than 1,000 familieswho are willing to move to Gaza now," she said.While Weiss expressed regret that the Israeli government has not included Jewish resettlement in its official war objectives, she insisted that in Israels democracy, public pressure can influence government policy."The basic truth is that the Gaza area is part of the western Negev," she said. "Historically, it was part of the area of the tribe of Yehuda. To turn your back on that is wrong."

International observers are reporting that ISIS-aligned soldiers are beheading Christians and burning churches and homes in central and southern Africa with some of the most brutal attacks happening in the nation of Mozambique.The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) a counter-terrorism research nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. is sounding that alarm about what it describes as a "silent genocide" taking place against Christians. The Islamic State Mozambique Province (ISMP) recently released 20 photos boasting of four attacks on "Christian villages" in the Chiure district, in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado province, according to MEMRI.MEMRI said the photos show ISIS operatives raiding villages and burning a church and homes. The images also allegedlydepict the beheadings of a member of what the jihadists consider "infidel militias" and two Christian civilians. Rampaging jihadist groups celebrated the killings. Photos also showed the corpses of several members of those so-called "infidel militias," according to the institute's analysis."What we see in Africa today is a kind of silent genocide or silent, brutal, savage war that is occurring in the shadows and all too often ignored by the international community," MEMRI Vice President Alberto Miguel Fernandez told Fox News Digital.ISLAMIST TERRORISTS KILL 49 CHRISTIANS IN AFRICAN CHURCH MASSACRE; EYEWITNESS REVEALS HORRIFIC DETAILS"That jihadist groups are in a position to take over not one, not two, but several countries in Africa take over the whole country or most of several countries is dangerous," Fernandez, a former U.S. diplomat, said. "It's very dangerous for the national security of the United States let alone the security of the poor people who are there Christians or Muslims or whoever they are."The Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) also recently released several photos of their own documenting a July 27 attack against the Christian village of Komanda in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ituri province. Islamic State-affiliated soldiers opened fire at a Catholic Church and set fire to homes, stores, vehicles and possessions. At least 45 people were killed, according to MEMRI. The photos show burning facilities and the corpses of Christians.Fernandez explained to Fox News Digital that the goal of these jihadist groups is "eliminating Christian communities," as they push down from safe havens and Muslims are "given a choice: either join us or you too will face killing and annihilation.""Christians, of course, are not going to be asked to join," Fernandez told Fox News Digital. "Christians are going to be targeted and destroyed."The United Nations migration agency said Monday that attacks by insurgents in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado province displaced more than 46,000 people in the span of eight days last month.The International Organization for Migration said nearly 60% of those forced from their homes were children.In a separate report, the U.N.'s humanitarian office said the wave of attacks between July 20 and July 28 across three districts in Cabo Delgado caused the surge in displacements.While the United Nations references attacks, its reporting has not detailed deaths or specified the targets. At least nine Christians in the Cabo Delgado province were reportedly killed in separate attacks by Islamic insurgents during that timeframe."I'm no fan of the United Nations in general, but I think what they're doing is kind of the lowest common denominator," Fernandez told Fox News Digital. "It's kind of easy to be vague like that. The fact that some of this and some of the worst of it is happening because of a deep anti-Christian animus, hatred of Christians, religiously-based hatred of Christians is something that the UN usually doesn't like to talk about."Fighters from Islamic State Mozambique allegedly captured and beheaded six Christians in the village of Natocua in the Ancuabe district of Mozambique's Cabo Delgado Province on July 22, according to MEMRI.POPE LEO XIV CONDEMNS BRUTAL MACHETE ATTACK THAT KILLED 49 CHRISTIANS DURING PRAYER IN DR CONGOBarnabas Aid, an international Christian charity, pointed to reporting by the Terrorism Research &Analysis Consortium claiming another three Christians were slaughtered in the Chiure district in attacks on July 24 and 25.The southern African nation has been fighting an insurgency by Islamic State-affiliated militants in the north for at least eight years. Rwandan soldiers have been deployed to help Mozambique fight them.The jihadist groups have been accused of beheading villagers and kidnapping children to be used as laborers or child soldiers. The U.N. estimates that the violence, and the impact of drought and several cyclones in recent years, has led to the displacement of more than 1 million people in northern Mozambique.Fernandez said that he feels the Trump administration "has refreshingly been tough and strong when it comes to jihadist terrorism" but what's happening in Africa typically does not receive as much attention compared to the Middle East. He pointed to how Trump's intervention in the U.S. brokering a ceasefire deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo helps offset jihadist groups that take advantage of security vacuums and ungoverned spaces to expand control.Fernandez also warned about the threat of jihadist ideology. After the Islamic State was "very strongly defeated" in the Middle East during Trump's first administration, he said branches are now looking to weaker territories to expand their influence."It's kind of like a whack-a-mole situation," Fernandez said, explaining that the Islamic State not long ago controlled a pseudo-state the size of the United Kingdom between Syria and Iraq. "What we need to see is them to be utterly defeated in Africa, so people will say, people on the sidelines or people on defense will say, Well obviously these people did not have the mandate of Allah, the mandate God, they were losers, they lost.' That's what we need."Doctors Without Borders said it has launched an emergency response to help thousands of recently displaced people who now live in camps in Chiure district.Cabo Delgado has large offshore natural gas reserves, and the insurgency caused the suspension of a $20 billion extraction project by French company TotalEnergies in 2021.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPMeanwhile, the Congolese army said last month that attacks in the village of Komanda in the conflict-battered region were carried out by the Allied Democratic Force, which is backed by the Islamic State. The group has mostly targeted villagers in eastern Congo and across the border in Uganda. ADF leaders pledged allegiance in 2019 to the Islamic State and have sought to establish an Islamic caliphate in Uganda.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Associated Press shocked many social media users on Wednesday for publishing a story they viewed as sympathetic to Hezbollah terrorists.In September, over 3,000 members of the Iran-backed terror group were injured and at least 30 killed when a covert Israeli operation launched two waves of near-simultaneous detonations of the organization's pagers and other electronic devices across Lebanon and Syria.The AP story focused on how "[s]urvivors of Israel's pager attack on Hezbollah struggle to recover."Reporters Bassem Mroue and Sarah El Deeb spoke to six people wounded during the attack, whom they acknowledged were all "Hezbollah officials or fighters or members of their families."GAZA AID GROUP SAYS AP REPORT OF US CONTRACTORS FIRING ON AID-SEEKING PALESTINIANS IS 'CATEGORICALLY FALSE'Despite Hezbollah being designated a terror organization by the United States, the article does not refer to Hezbollah members as "terrorists" and instead describes them as a "militant group" or "a major Shiite political party with a wide network of social institutions."One of the people interviewed was Mahdi Sheri, a 23-year-old Hezbollah fighter who was injured in the pager attack. The AP reported on how he returned from the frontlines and was spending time with his family before his pager vibrated, and he went to go check it. Sheri lost his left eye and has very limited sight out of his right eye, according to the AP.Mahdi Sheri, a 23-year-old Hezbollah fighter, had been ordered back to the frontline on the day of the attack. Before leaving, he charged his pager and spent time with family. For his security, no mobile phones were allowed in the house while he was there."For a while, he could see shadows with his remaining eye. With time, that dimmed. He can no longer play football. Hezbollah is helping him find a new job. Sheri realizes it's impossible now to find a role alongside Hezbollah fighters," the AP wrote.X users roasted the story for presenting Hezbollah terrorists in a compassionate light, calling it "jaw-dropping.""This is me; playing my tiny violin," Twitchys Amy Curtis remarked.Conservative activist Robby Starbuck wrote, "Nothing shocks me anymore with media but this really did. Theyre literally presenting Hezbollah terrorists as victims. Absolutely jaw-dropping.""Imagine in 1944, the Associated Press published a news article about how Nazi SS soldiers struggle to recover from wounds they suffered from battles with the Allies in Europe. It's a moral abomination that this is not a fantasy for the @AP in 2025," Antonin Scalia Law School professor Adam Mossoff commented."The hostages held by Hamas struggle to survive," radio host Tony Katz wrote."The AP never got over what Israel did to their office mates," conservative writer Kate Hyde said.In 2021, reports emerged that the AP had shared a Gaza office building with Hamas military intelligence, though it has denied knowing this.ASSOCIATED PRESS' ROUGH WEEK CONTINUES AFTER REPORT IT HIRED ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST AS NEWS ASSOCIATERepublican members of Congress also shared and criticized the story across X."AP: Wont someone PLEASE think of the terrorists?!" Georgia Rep. Mike Collins joked.New York Rep. Claudia Tenney wrote, "Revoking the APs credentials is one of the best decisions of the last 6 months. Its an utter disgrace that this news agency is writing puff-piece articles designed to garner sympathy for terrorists.""The AP is running sob stories for Hezbollah terrorists," Montana Sen. Tim Sheehy wrote.In a statement to Fox News Digital, AP Media Relations & Corporate Communications Director Patrick Maks said that the outlet stood by the story.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPIn September, days after the pager attack, the outlet also came under fire after referring to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as "charismatic and shrewd" in his obituary.