As diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran gain momentum, Iran has intensified its rhetoric toward the region while continuing a violent crackdown at home, according to analysts and eyewitness accounts obtained by Fox News Digital.

On Sunday and Monday morning, Iran issued fresh warnings that any military strike on its territory would ignite a regional conflict, even as senior Iranian officials signaled a willingness to negotiate. Reuters reported Monday that Tehran is examining the possibility of renewed nuclear talks with the United States, with Turkey emerging as a potential venue and regional mediators, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, playing an active role, after President Donald Trump said he was hopeful a deal could be reached to avert military action against Iran.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive in Israel on Tuesday for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, according to Axios. The publication also reported that Steve Witkoff will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul on Friday.

IRAN WILL RETALIATE 'WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE' IF US ATTACKS, SENIOR DIPLOMAT WARNS

The talks are expected to focus on Iran, following Zamir’s weekend visit to Washington, where he held a series of meetings with U.S. defense officials on the Islamic Republic.

Benny Sabti, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told Fox News Digital this pattern is consistent with Tehran’s long-standing strategy.

"This is very typical behavior for the Iranian regime," Sabti said. He said Iran deliberately escalated threats days ago, warning that if it were attacked, no country in the Middle East would be safe. "They treat the region as if it is being held hostage," he said, adding that the tactic appears to have worked.

Sabti pointed to the list of mediators now involved. "Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, all of them went to the United States pushing for talks," he said. "They are trying to avoid being dragged into the Iranian threat."

TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS

According to Sabti, Tehran is also projecting mixed messages by design. "There are two voices coming out of Iran," he said. "On one side, the generals, the IRGC, the military, escalating threats. On the other side, the foreign minister and the president are talking about negotiations."

On Monday morning, Al Arabiya reported that Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Fars deleted a report that referenced approval for negotiations with the United States.

Sabti said that even Iran’s National Security Council reflects this dual messaging. He noted that a deputy official recently signaled Iran would not yet further advance its enriched uranium, while military officials simultaneously escalated rhetoric. "It is meant to confuse the enemy and to keep the entire Middle East under pressure," he said.

While Iran’s external posture oscillates between threats and diplomacy, reports from inside the country point to an intensifying crackdown on protesters.

Independent casualty estimates vary widely. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that, based on its latest aggregated data, 6,842 people had been confirmed killed by the end of the 36th day of protests. According to HRANA, 6,425 of those killed were recorded as protesters, while 146 were children under the age of 18. An additional 11,280 cases remain under review. HRANA and other opposition-linked groups have warned that the final toll could be significantly higher, with some estimates reaching as high as 30,000 deaths.

Fox News Digital received eyewitness accounts from individuals identified as part of the MEK’s Resistance Units network inside Iran.

IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER ACKNOWLEDGES THOUSANDS KILLED AS TRUMP CALLS FOR NEW LEADERSHIP: REPORTS

One eyewitness from Eslamshahr, a southern district of Tehran, said a group of 27 protesters was fired upon, killing 10. The source said a cousin was killed, another cousin, Melika, 20, was mutilated, and the bodies were buried in a nearby park.

In Lahijan, in northern Gilan Province, an eyewitness said 30 protesters were shot outside the governor’s office on Jan. 8, with seven later dying in the hospital. In Shiraz, a 16-year-old said he was shot with pellet guns in the lips, eye and throat and is now experiencing vision problems.

Another eyewitness from Bandar Abbas in southern Iran said that since Jan. 18, martial law has been imposed, with residents barred from the streets after 4 p.m. local time. The source claimed security forces entered hospitals to remove or kill wounded protesters and that families were allegedly told to pay 10 billion rials, roughly $8,000, to recover the bodies of their children.

Sabti said the renewed diplomacy has also deepened public disillusionment inside Iran.

"Many protesters are very disappointed," he said. "When Trump said on Jan. 13 that 'help is on its way,' they believed it. They were very emotional about it. After 47 years, an American president was speaking in support of the Iranian people. But now they interpret his words as helping the regime, not the protesters. The disappointment is very deep."

Reuters contributed to this report.

Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt resumed limited operations Monday under the terms of the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire agreement, reopening a critical gateway that had been largely closed for nearly two years.

The reopening comes with tight restrictions. Only a small number of people will be permitted to travel in either direction and commercial goods will not be allowed to pass through the crossing, officials said.

Egyptian authorities said the first day of operations will allow up to 50 Palestinians to cross in each direction, a figure that reflects the narrow scope of the initial reopening rather than a full return to prewar travel.

Health officials in Gaza say tens of thousands of residents with urgent medical needs are seeking evacuation through Rafah, underscoring the pressure on the crossing even as access remains tightly controlled. Thousands of Palestinians currently outside Gaza are also hoping to return.

US MILITARY TO OVERSEE NEXT PHASE OF PEACE DEAL FROM COORDINATION BASE IN ISRAEL

Before the war, Rafah served as Gaza’s primary passage to the outside world. All other crossings into the territory are shared with Israel. Under the ceasefire framework that took effect in October, Israeli forces continue to control the corridor between the crossing and the areas where most Palestinians live.

Israel and Egypt are vetting travelers, and the crossing is being overseen with international involvement, officials said, as part of efforts to prevent weapons smuggling while allowing limited humanitarian movement.

Egypt has said the crossing must function in both directions and has pushed back against any use of Rafah as a mechanism to permanently displace Palestinians from Gaza.

US ENVOY WITKOFF SAYS HIGH-LEVEL MIAMI TALKS FOCUSED ON 'UNIFIED GAZAN AUTHORITY' AS ISRAEL CEASEFIRE ADVANCES

Elsewhere in the territory, fighting-related incidents continued despite the ceasefire. Gaza hospital officials accused an Israeli navy vessel of firing on a tent camp near the southern city of Khan Younis, killing a 3-year-old Palestinian boy. Israel’s military said it was reviewing the report.

Egyptian authorities said roughly 150 hospitals across the country are prepared to receive patients evacuated from Gaza, while the Egyptian Red Crescent has set up support areas on the Egyptian side of the crossing.

Israel seized control of the Rafah crossing in May 2024, describing the move as part of its campaign against Hamas smuggling routes. The crossing was briefly opened for medical evacuations during a short-lived ceasefire in early 2025.

The U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10 halted more than two years of fighting that began with the Hamas-led terror attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The ceasefire's initial phase focused on hostage exchanges, increased humanitarian aid and a limited Israeli pullback.

A second phase envisions a new Palestinian governing arrangement for Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, the disarmament of Hamas and steps toward reconstruction — goals that remain unresolved.

Israel and Egypt conducted a test reopening of the Rafah Crossing between Egypt and Gaza on Sunday.

Israel’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which oversees humanitarian and civil efforts in Gaza, said the crossing will be open to the public starting Monday morning, but only in a limited capacity, allowing roughly 150 people per day to cross.

Those headed to the crossing will be picked up by buses and brought in organized groups, with each of them being cleared by Israeli intelligence.

Israeli forces will provide security for the crossings in coordination with Egypt and under the supervision of the European Union mission.

TRUMP ENVOY WARNS HAMAS OF 'SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES' AS ADMIN LAUNCHES PHASE TWO OF GAZA PLAN

Return from Egypt for Gaza residents will only be allowed for those who left Gaza during the course of the war, and only after prior security clearance by Israel.

"The Rafah crossing has reopened for the movement of people only. Today, a pilot is underway to test and assess the operation of the crossing," COGAT said in a statement.

WITKOFF CELEBRATES 'NEW DAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST' AFTER FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE IS RETURNED FROM GAZA

"The movement of residents in both directions, entry and exit to and from Gaza, is expected to begin tomorrow," the statement continued.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said last week that Israel agreed to the "limited reopening" of the crossing under President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan.

ISRAEL ANNOUNCES LIMITED REOPENING OF RAFAH CROSSING UNDER TRUMP'S 20-POINT PLAN

"As part of President Trump’s 20-point plan, Israel has agreed to a limited reopening of the Rafah Crossing for pedestrian passage only, subject to a full Israeli inspection mechanism," the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel wrote.

The Prime Minister’s Office said the reopening was contingent on the return of all living hostages and what it described as a "100 percent effort" by Hamas to locate and return the remains of all deceased hostages.

The remains of the final Israeli hostage, Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, were found by Israel and returned last week.

Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this report.

Iran’s president accused President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and European leaders Saturday of provoking unrest and trying to "tear this country apart," a report said. 

Masoud Pezeshkian told state television that Trump, Netanyahu and European leaders "rode on our problems, provoked, and were seeking — and still seek — to fragment society," according to Reuters.

"They brought them into the streets and wanted, as they said, to tear this country apart, to sow conflict and hatred among the people and create division," Pezeshkian reportedly added about the anti-government protests and deadly crackdown that recently swept through Iran. "Everyone knows that the issue was not just a social protest." 

The White House did not immediately respond Saturday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

SAUDIS WON'T LET THE UNITED STATES USE ITS BASES OR AIRSPACE FOR AN ATTACK ON IRAN, SENIOR GULF OFFICIAL REVEALS

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency recently reported that the violence in Iran has killed at least 6,479 people in recent weeks, with many more feared dead. Its count included at least 6,092 protesters, 214 government-affiliated forces, 118 children and 55 civilians who were not demonstrating. More than 47,200 have been arrested, it added. 

As of Jan. 21, Iran’s government put the death toll at a far lower 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and security forces and labeling the rest "terrorists." 

Pezeshkian’s comments come after Trump said Friday that the United States has directly communicated expectations to Iran as pressure mounts for Tehran to accept a nuclear deal.

SATELLITE IMAGES REVEAL ACTIVITY AT IRAN NUCLEAR SITES BOMBED BY US, ISRAEL

Asked whether Iran faces a deadline to make a deal, Trump suggested in the Oval Office Friday the timeline had been conveyed privately.  

"Only they know for sure," he said when pressed about whether the message had been delivered directly to Iranian leaders.

As Trump weighs his options on a possible military strike on Iran, a senior Gulf official also told Fox News Saudi Arabia will not allow the U.S. to use its airspace or bases for such an attack. 

Fox News’ Morgan Phillips, Peter Pinedo, Jacqui Heinrich and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Saturday that strikes across Gaza had been carried out in response to what it described as a ceasefire violation in which eight terrorists had been identified exiting underground terror infrastructure in eastern Rafah.

The IDF said it had struck four commanders and additional terrorists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as a weapons storage facility. A weapons manufacturing site and two launch sites belonging to Hamas in central Gaza were also hit, the IDF said.

Gaza hospitals run by the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry said at least 30 Palestinians were reported killed in the strikes, according to The Associated Press. 

US ENVOY WITKOFF SAYS HIGH-LEVEL MIAMI TALKS FOCUSED ON 'UNIFIED GAZAN AUTHORITY' AS ISRAEL CEASEFIRE ADVANCES

Hospital officials reported that casualties included civilians. They said the casualties included two women and six children from two different families. An airstrike also hit a police station in Gaza City, killing at least 14 and wounding others, Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiya said.

The strikes came a day after Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire. An Israeli military official told the AP that the strikes were carried out in response to ceasefire violations but declined to comment on specific targets.

The violence unfolded one day before the Rafah border crossing with Egypt was set to reopen, a move seen as a key step in the second phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire. That phase includes limited border reopenings, efforts to demilitarize Gaza and discussions over postwar governance.

Israel has said the Rafah crossing has been a focal point for concerns about weapons smuggling by Hamas, and that security arrangements would accompany any reopening.

TWO IDF SOLDIERS KILLED AMID 'SEVERE' CEASEFIRE VIOLATION, 'IT'S NOT THE LAST,' ANALYST SAYS

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel agreed to a "limited reopening" of the crossing under President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan.

Israel has said it continues to carry out strikes across the region in response to violations of ceasefire understandings. On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure and engineering vehicles in southern Lebanon, accusing the group of attempting to reestablish terror infrastructure in violation of agreements with Israel.

Meanwhile, a senior Israeli military official acknowledged that the IDF believes the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry’s overall death toll from the war is largely accurate, according to The Times of Israel. The military estimates around 70,000 Gazans were killed during the two-plus-year conflict triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

The Gaza Health Ministry currently reports 71,667 deaths, including more than 450 since the October 2025 ceasefire, though Israeli officials said the estimate does not include bodies believed to be buried under rubble.

Gaza’s Health Ministry has said 509 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire began Oct. 10.

Israel also returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians on Thursday, days after recovering the remains of the last Israeli hostage, a Gaza Health Ministry official said, according to the AP.

The transfer marked the final hostage-detainee exchange under the first phase of the ceasefire.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Fresh satellite images have captured roofs being built over damaged buildings at Iranian nuclear sites that were attacked by the U.S. and Israel last year. 

The photos from Planet Labs PBC show new coverings over two structures at the Isfahan and Natanz facilities following the June 2025 strikes. 

The roofs are likely part of Iran’s efforts "to assess whether key assets — such as limited stocks of highly enriched uranium — survived the strikes," Andrea Stricker, who studies Iran for the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told The Associated Press. 

"They want to be able to get at any recovered assets they can get to without Israel or the United States seeing what survived," she added.

A FULL BREAKDOWN OF OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMER, THE ‘LARGEST B-2 OPERATIONAL STRIKE IN US HISTORY’

Those coverings block satellites from seeing what’s happening on the ground — right now the only way for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor the sites, as Iran has prevented access. 

The Natanz site, which is about 135 miles south of Iran’s capital of Tehran, is a mix of above- and below-ground laboratories that did the majority of Iran’s uranium enrichment. 

The facility outside the city of Isfahan was mainly known for producing the uranium gas that is fed into centrifuges to be spun and purified.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS

Last year, Israel targeted the sites first, followed by U.S. strikes using bunker-busting bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles.  

The Israel Defense Forces said in June 2025 that a strike on the Isfahan site had "dismantled a facility for producing metallic uranium, infrastructure for reconverting enriched uranium, laboratories, and additional infrastructure." 

The U.S. strikes "significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear program," the White House’s National Security Strategy published in November said.

Iran has not allowed IAEA inspectors to visit the sites since the attacks. 

The new satellite images come as President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that a "massive Armada" is heading toward the Middle East, ratcheting up pressure on the Iranian regime to reach a nuclear deal. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said during a Cabinet meeting Thursday that the U.S. military is "prepared to deliver whatever the president expects" regarding Iran. Meanwhile, Iranian military officials have vowed that any U.S. attack would be met with an immediate and decisive response. 

The Trump administration has also escalated sanctions on Iranian officials in response to the deadly crackdown on anti-regime protesters.

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Israel announced Thursday that it will reopen the Rafah border crossing for people to travel between Gaza and Egypt for the first time since May 2024. 

Israel’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which oversees humanitarian and civil efforts in Gaza, said the crossing "will open this coming Sunday (February 1st) in both directions, for limited movement of people only." 

"The return of residents from Egypt to the Gaza Strip will be permitted, in coordination with Egypt, for residents who left Gaza during the course of the war only, and only after prior security clearance by Israel," COGAT said. 

"In addition to initial identification and screening at the Rafah Crossing by the European Union mission, an additional screening and identification process will be conducted at a designated corridor, operated by the defense establishment in an area under IDF control," it continued.

WITKOFF CELEBRATES 'NEW DAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST' AFTER FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE IS RETURNED FROM GAZA

This will be the first opening of the Rafah crossing for people since Israel seized the area in May 2024, according to Reuters. Israeli forces captured the territory as part of an effort to prevent arms smuggling into Gaza by the terrorist group Hamas. 

In early 2025, there was an evacuation of medical patients along the route during a temporary ceasefire, The Associated Press reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office had said Sunday that Israel agreed to a "limited reopening" of the crossing under President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan.

ISRAEL ANNOUNCES LIMITED REOPENING OF RAFAH CROSSING UNDER TRUMP'S 20-POINT PLAN

"As part of President Trump’s 20-point plan, Israel has agreed to a limited reopening of the Rafah Crossing for pedestrian passage only, subject to a full Israeli inspection mechanism," the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel wrote. 

The Prime Minister’s Office said the reopening was contingent on the return of all living hostages and what it described as a "100 percent effort" by Hamas to locate and return the remains of all deceased hostages.

Israel on Monday then confirmed that the remains of Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza, have been recovered and returned home after 842 days. 

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report. 

Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth released the 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS), a Pentagon blueprint that elevates Israel as a "model ally" and translates President Donald Trump’s national security doctrine into concrete military policy.

"Israel has long demonstrated that it is both willing and able to defend itself with critical but limited support from the United States. Israel is a model ally, and we have an opportunity now to further empower it to defend itself and promote our shared interests, building on President Trump’s historic efforts to secure peace in the Middle East," the NDS states.

The document is now influencing parallel debates over the future of U.S. security assistance to Israel and whether the next Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) should continue delivering traditional U.S. military aid to Israel amid dissenting voices that portray the alliance as a burden rather than a strategic asset.

DIRECT AID TO ISRAEL SHOULD BE PHASED OUT TO 'REDUCE US LEVERAGE,' INFLUENTIAL CONSERVATIVE GROUPS ARGUE

According to the strategy, Israel proved its ability and willingness to defend itself following the Oct. 7 attacks, demonstrating that it is not a passive partner but an operational force that supports U.S. interests in the region. The strategy emphasizes empowering capable allies rather than constraining them, building on President Trump’s earlier push for regional integration through the Abraham Accords.

Jonathan Ruhe, director of foreign policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, said the strategy reflects a broader American shift toward partnerships that strengthen both U.S. security and domestic industry.

"U.S. defense assistance to Israel in the MOU is spent in dollars here in America to support our industry," Ruhe told Fox News Digital. "And like in the national security strategy, it then enables Israel to go and do more to protect U.S. interests."

He said a future agreement would likely extend beyond funding alone. "A new MOU would also likely be broader and include things that are more 50-50 partnership, like joint research and development, co-production, intelligence sharing and things like that to reflect the changing partnership going forward," Ruhe said.

The strategy also highlights the importance of revitalizing the American defense industrial base, noting that allies purchasing U.S. systems help strengthen domestic production while enabling partners to shoulder greater responsibility for regional security.

Avner Golov, vice president of the Israeli think tank Mind Israel, said the document makes clear that Israel is viewed not merely as a recipient of aid: "Israel is in the fight. We are protecting ourselves by ourselves. We just need the tools to do that. And by doing so, we enhance not only America’s standing in the Middle East, but also worldwide and contribute to the American economy."

That framing comes as Israel and the United States prepare for negotiations over the next 10-year MOU, which governs U.S. military assistance to Israel. The current agreement, signed in 2016, provides $3.3 billion annually in foreign military financing, along with $500 million a year for missile defense cooperation.

The debate follows tensions during the Biden administration, when the White House paused the delivery of certain U.S. weapons to Israel in May 2024, including a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs. At the time, Netanyahu warned that Israel "will stand alone" if Washington halted weapons deliveries, reflecting concern that limits or delays in U.S. military support could undermine Israel’s readiness and deterrence. 

Experts have noted that U.S. leaders have not always approved every Israeli weapons request and that roughly 70% of Israel’s military imports come from the United States, underscoring the strategic calculus behind Prime Minister Netanyahu's recent push for greater independent production.

Golov criticized that approach, arguing it risks prioritizing optics over readiness. "I believe that is a short-term vision," Golov said. "In the long term, Israel must first be prepared for the next round of escalation. If we are not ready, we will face another war. If we are prepared, perhaps we can deter it."

PENTAGON WARNS FUTURE WARS MAY HIT US SOIL AS 'DIRECT MILITARY THREATS' GROW

"Israel must remain the strongest army in the region, and that is also a fundamental American interest," Golov said.

Ruhe said the debate reflects lessons learned from nearly two years of war. "You’ve got this sort of topsy-turvy world now where the Israelis are saying we don’t want to take any more U.S. money, and the Americans are saying, no, you’re going to take our money," he said.

According to Ruhe, the conflict exposed vulnerabilities created by heavy dependence on U.S. supply chains and political delays.

"The war of the last two years showed that Israel can’t afford to be as dependent on the U.S. or continue to maintain the same defense partnership that it has because that creates a dependence," he said. "Israel becomes vulnerable to U.S. shortages in weapons output or politically motivated embargoes and holdups that can impact Israel’s readiness."

At the same time, Ruhe noted that Israel remains reliant on the United States for major platforms.

"Even Israel will say we’re utterly dependent on the U.S. for those big-ticket platforms," he said, pointing to aircraft such as the F-15 and F-35 that Israel has already committed to purchasing.

For that reason, Ruhe argued that maintaining stable funding under the next MOU may be the most practical path forward.

"It’s actually much easier for Congress just to go ahead and approve that money," he said, explaining that predictable funding reduces annual political battles on Capitol Hill.

TRUMP REWRITES NATIONAL SECURITY PLAYBOOK AS MASS MIGRATION OVERTAKES TERRORISM AS TOP US THREAT

Golov said Israel’s long-term objective should not be reducing ties with Washington, but deepening them. "I don’t want to reduce dependency," he said. "I want to increase contribution to America."

He described the emerging vision as a fundamental shift in how the alliance is structured. "We are moving from a 20th-century aid model to a 21st-century strategic merger," Golov said. "Israel is the only partner that delivers a 400% return on investment without asking for a single American soldier."

Golov said the proposed framework is built around three pillars: an industrial defense ecosystem, a joint technology ecosystem and a regional ecosystem connecting Israeli innovation, Gulf infrastructure and American power.

He emphasized that maintaining U.S. security assistance during the transition period is critical.

"We need a final ten-year ‘bridge’ with the current security aid MOU," Golov said. "A sudden cut would be a dangerous signal of American retreat to our enemies and may hinder IDF preparedness."

"I don’t know who the next president of the United States will be," he added. "This is where our enemies can read it in a very dangerous way."

When Col. (Res.) E.K. puts on his uniform at the age of 57, he carries more than the weight of command. He carries the story of two families nearly erased from the map of Europe.

As the world marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in 1945, the deputy commander of Israel’s Jerusalem and Central District in the Home Front Command says the past is not distant history. For him, it lives in memory, in service, and in the urgency of defending a Jewish state he believes remains the only place where Jews are truly protected.

"Both of my parents are Holocaust survivors," E.K., whose picture is blurred for security reasons, told Fox News Digital. "My father came from a large Orthodox Jewish family in western Poland. Before the war, the extended family numbered around 700 people. After the Holocaust, only my father and two cousins remained; three people out of 700."

101-YEAR-OLD KRISTALLNACHT SURVIVOR WARNS CURRENT ERA 'EQUIVALENT TO 1938' ON ANNIVERSARY OF NAZI RIOT

After surviving Auschwitz, his father joined the Betar movement and attempted to reach the Land of Israel in 1946 aboard the ship Theodor Herzl. He was detained by British authorities, imprisoned at the Atlit camp and exiled to Cyprus for nearly two years.

Only with the declaration of Israel’s independence did he finally arrive.

"He enlisted, fought in the War of Independence and four additional wars and served in the reserves for 55 years," E.K. said.

On his mother’s side, the losses were no less devastating. Her parents and sisters were taken from their home in eastern Poland after neighbors informed on them.

"They were forced to dig their own grave beneath a pear tree and were executed by gunfire," he said.

The Holocaust was rarely discussed openly in his childhood home, E.K. said, but its presence was constant. Now, he worries about a different silence.

"We are 80 years after the Holocaust, and the people who can say ‘I was there. I saw’ are disappearing," he said. "Therefore, the duty of remembrance is our duty."

CHRISTIAN PASTORS, INFLUENCERS JOIN 1,000-STRONG ISRAEL MISSION BACKING JEWISH STATE, FIGHTING ANTISEMITISM

That sense of responsibility shaped his life. E.K., a father of four daughters and a grandfather, has served more than 36 years in Israel’s reserve forces, completing more than 3,600 days of duty.

"Ten years of reserve duty in total," he said. In Israel, reservists are legally exempt from duty at age 45. E.K. chose to continue, "When they call me, I will immediately arrive." 

Following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, he was mobilized once again.

"What we saw on Oct. 7 was killing for the sake of killing," he said. "Not to conquer territory or change reality. It was hatred for the sake of hatred."

WHY CHRISTIANS MUST STAND WITH ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE AMID SURGING ANTISEMITISM

Since then, he has commanded rescue and heavy engineering units operating in the Gaza Envelope, inside Gaza, and in the north. His forces have carried out body identification, rescue operations and clearing missions aimed at eliminating terrorist hiding places.

"In the next few days we are going back into Gaza again for clearing and demolition," he said.

Despite the trauma, he says the reserve system reflects something powerful about Israeli society. "What is beautiful about the reserves is that people can hold very different political opinions, and everyone still comes and works as one body," he said.

E.K. reflected on what he believes history is teaching again. "We see now that antisemitism existed and will continue to exist in the future," he said.

He pointed to the global reaction to Israel since Oct. 7. "There are terrible things happening in other places. For example, the Iranian regime crackdown on its own people, and you do not see demonstrations like this, but when it involves Israel and Jews, there is an outcry," he said.

For E.K., remembrance is not only about mourning the dead. It is about protecting the living. "The place of every Jew is here in Israel," he added. "And we must always remain united and strong. We must be here in our land, be strong and united and ensure that ‘never again’ truly means never again," he said.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is hailing the start of a new era in the Middle East after the return of the remains of the final Israeli hostage in Gaza.

Israeli police officer Ran Gvili's remains were returned to Israel on Monday, marking the return of all hostages, both living and deceased.

"Yesterday was a historic day," Witkoff wrote in a post on X. "Now, ALL 20 living hostages and all 28 deceased hostages in Gaza have now been returned to their families – a monumental, historic feat that few thought was possible. It’s thanks to the hard work of so many, but especially [the president], who works tirelessly for peace."

"This closes a painful chapter for many, and paves the way for a new future that can be defined by peace, not war, and prosperity, not destruction," Witkoff added. "It’s a new day in the Middle East, and President Trump, myself, and the entire team are committed to sustained peace and prosperity for all in the region."

ISRAEL CONFIRMS RECOVERY OF LAST HOSTAGE'S REMAINS FROM GAZA

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an organization created in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks to represent the families of those who were kidnapped, thanked Witkoff and echoed his message, saying, "Without [the president] and his administration, the hostages would never have come home."

President Donald Trump celebrated the return of Gvili's remains from Gaza with a post on Truth Social.

"Just recovered the last hostage body in GAZA. Thus, got back ALL 20 of the living hostages, and ALL of the dead! AMAZING JOB! Most thought of it as an impossible thing to do. Congratulations to my great team of champions!!!" Trump wrote.

TRUMP WRITES MESSAGE TO ISRAELIS AFTER ALL LIVING HOSTAGES RELEASED BY HAMAS

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised Trump while addressing Israel's parliament, known as the Knesset. He thanked Trump, Witkoff, Jared Kushner and their teams "for their significant and important support."

Trump has previously made high-profile diplomatic moves in the Middle East. During his first administration, he brokered a series of normalization agreements known as the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.

Witkoff and Trump visited Israel in October on the day the final remaining living hostages returned home from Gaza after more than two years in captivity. The Knesset received them and other members of the administration with cheers of gratitude.

"No American president has ever done more for Israel," Netanyahu said at the time. "It ain’t even close."

When the living hostages were released, Witkoff celebrated their return and recognized the pain of those whose loved ones would not come home alive.

"Even in this moment of relief and happiness, my heart aches for those whose loved ones will not return alive. Bringing their bodies home is a must and an act of dignity and honors their memory forever," Witkoff wrote on X.

On the morning of Oct. 7, Gvili was supposed to be at home resting while waiting for surgery on his broken shoulder, which he sustained during a motorbike accident. However, when rocket sirens sounded, Gvili, who was 24 at the time, grabbed his uniform and went to fight. He fought alongside fellow officers and was eventually killed near Kibbutz Alumim. His body was taken into Gaza, where it was held for over 840 days.

In December, Ran’s mother, Talik Gvili, wrote an op-ed for Fox News Digital reflecting on her son’s final moments and pleading for his return.

"My Ran never hesitated when evil came knocking... That's who my son was," she said of her son's actions on Oct. 7.

"I promise you, my Ran, that your story will be heard around the world. Everyone will know what you did, how you fought, how you never gave up."

Leaders from around the world gathered in Jerusalem on Tuesday to highlight the global surge in antisemitism on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marked annually on the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi extermination camp.

An opening gala was held on Monday, during which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the West’s democratic civilization is under threat from a destructive ideology that has infiltrated every country in Western Europe and the United States.

"They want to destroy the West as we know it. And they agree on one thing. What is the thing that they agree on? World War Jew. To conduct a world war, first against the Jews and against the Jewish state," he said.

ISRAEL WILL HONOR THE LATE CHARLIE KIRK WITH AWARD FOR OPPOSING ANTISEMITISM

"And for the radical Muslims, they are right, because there would be no West in the Middle East if the Jewish state is eradicated. There would be no obstacle for the further invasion of Europe if the Jewish state doesn't exist. And it also appeals to their internal hatred of the Jews, which has common roots with antisemitism over the centuries," Netanyahu added.

Among the prominent international figures attending the conference were Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Hungarian Minister for European Union Affairs János Bóka and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

"Antisemitism is rooted in a spiritual disease of raw evil," Huckabee told Fox News Digital. "It’s the bigotry of believing oneself to be superior to another, which is the essence of all forms of irrational hate and racism. We all should be speaking up and standing up against it," he said.

"Hating the Jews today is hating Christians tomorrow and some other group the next. It’s a cancer that is never satisfied until every healthy human relationship is destroyed. It originates in hell. Any and all efforts to identify such darkness is helpful. Being quiet about it is to accept it and agree with it," the ambassador added.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog was the first speaker to address the conference on Tuesday, warning of a deteriorating reality for Jewish communities worldwide.

"The same old plague has been let loose on our society once again. The rationale may be different, but it is the same ancient poison, it has taken many forms, but it has always carried the same name, antisemitism," he said.

ISRAELI OFFICIALS HEAP BLAME ON AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AFTER BONDI BEACH SHOOTING: 'COUNTLESS WARNING SIGNS'

Herzog noted that Jews now feel compelled to hide their identities on the streets of London and Paris, and that Jewish worshipers must be protected on Saturday mornings from Toronto to Boston to Buenos Aires.

He cited the killing of Jewish worshipers in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, the murder of innocents at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney, Australia, and the isolation and harassment of Jewish students on university campuses across the U.S. and Europe.

"When this happens," Herzog said, "we are failing to meet our vow. We are failing to meet our duties to humanity."

Herzog also addressed concerns in the United States, citing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. "To deny the Jewish people and only the Jewish people the right to self-determination in their national homeland is antisemitism - even if you are the mayor of the city with the most Jews outside Israel," he said.

ISIS, IRAN ESCALATING GLOBAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST JEWS, ISRAEL SPY CHIEF SAYS

The conference, titled Generation Truth, and hosted by Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli, focused on three primary manifestations of modern antisemitism: violent Islamist antisemitism, progressive antisemitism that seeks to delegitimize Israel and exclude Jews from public life, and far-right antisemitism, which has gained renewed visibility in recent years.

On Tuesday, Chikli drew a connection between Nazi ideology and what he described as "Islamo-Nazism," which he said underpins the worldview of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.

"Eighty-one years have passed, and the Jewish people have still not fully recovered from the horrific campaign of annihilation carried out by Nazi Germany. Eighty-one years have passed and yet an axe is still raised against us seeking to destroy the small Jewish state and to harm Jews at every point on the globe, from the kibbutzim and communities in southern Israel still scared by the barbaric Hamas atrocities of Oct. 7 to Manchester and Sydney," Chikli said.

"This conference seeks to banish political correctness… and to mobilize all essential forces in the ideological and physical fight against the modern heirs of the Nazi," he continued.

Also speaking at the conference was Sylvan Adams, president of the World Jewish Congress for the Israel region, who told Fox News Digital that on Oct. 8, 2023 — before the war in Gaza began and while Israel was still counting its dead — demonstrations took place across the globe celebrating the Hamas-led massacre.

He blamed the events on several countries that he said are part of an organized campaign led by Qatar, which he said serves as a frontline for the Muslim Brotherhood, with backing from Iran and, more recently, China — actors he argued exploit Israel and the Jewish people to intimidate and overturn Western society.

"After Israel appeared wounded and vulnerable on Oct. 7, they activated a massive, long-prepared campaign — investing vast resources, infiltrating institutions, and planting paid operatives in Western cities in an effort to deliver a final blow. But we see how deeply mistaken they were," Adams said.

"We need to push back and remind leaders in the West, institutional leaders as well as political leaders, that we are under attack. Our way of life, our freedoms are under attack. It’s not Israel’s fight, this is a clash of civilizations, we are fighting for all of the West," he added.

The Israel Defense Forces conducted approximately 80 brigade-level counterterrorism operations over the past year in the West Bank — known to Israelis as Judea and Samaria — neutralizing hundreds of terrorists and seizing more than 1,300 weapons, according to data released by the military.

The IDF said overall Palestinian terrorist activity in the area declined sharply in 2025, with incidents down 78% compared to the previous year. Attacks involving firearms dropped by 86%, the data showed.

Security remains essential in Israel’s ancient heartland, home to more than 500,000 Jews and up to 3 million Palestinians, and is at the center of intense political and diplomatic debate. Many Israeli officials argue that Jerusalem must assert sovereignty over the territory. 

TRUMP LAUNCHES PHASE 2 OF GAZA PEACE PLAN — BUT HAMAS DISARMAMENT REMAINS THE REAL TEST

Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, brokered during the Clinton administration, the West Bank was divided into three areas: Area A, under full Palestinian control; Area B, under Palestinian civil authority and Israeli security control; and Area C, under full Israeli authority.

A 2020 plan by the Trump administration, known as "Peace to Prosperity," envisioned Israeli annexation of parts of Judea and Samaria but was shelved in favor of the Abraham Accords, which normalized Israel’s relations with four Arab countries. In July 2024, the Knesset plenum overwhelmingly rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state, and in July 2025, approved a declaration calling on the government to apply sovereignty in Judea and Samaria as well as the Jordan Valley, something Vice President JD Vance described as a "very stupid political stunt," when asked his thoughts on the vote.

On a visit to Israel, he said, "The West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel… The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel. That will continue to be our policy. And if people want to take symbolic votes, they can do that, but we certainly weren't happy about it."

VANCE REBUKES ISRAEL ON 'VERY STUPID' VOTE TO ANNEX WEST BANK

Focusing on the national security significance of the area, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus, a former IDF international spokesperson and now a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that fundamental principles of warfare apply to the area.

"High ground, or elevated terrain, remains critical and extremely important in defending a country, its people and its sovereignty," Conricus said. "I cannot identify any credible professional military assessment that would suggest it is wise for Israel to allow a hostile entity to dominate high terrain that controls, by line of sight and fire, most of modern Israel west of the 1949 armistice line, where 80% of Israel’s GDP and 70% of its population reside."

WALTZ HAILS ‘NIGHT-AND-DAY’ MIDDLE EAST SHIFT AS TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN RESHAPES REGION

Conricus said that no Israeli government could relinquish military control over the area without endangering the most basic security of the State of Israel.

He emphasized that the area defines Israel’s eastern border and noted that, while Israel currently maintains strategic peace with Jordan, the kingdom remains unstable and vulnerable to both internal and external pressures.

"It could be jihadist elements, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas or the Iranian regime," he said. "Israel has to have an eastern border that is a natural barrier. The Jordan River is a natural barrier that limits the movement of troops, tanks and vehicles, and provides a border that is defensible," he said.

ISRAEL FM ACCUSES PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY OF AIDING TERROR WITH ‘PAY-FOR-SLAY’ AFTER DEADLY ATTACK

Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, pointed to the concept of defensible borders that emerged after the 1967 Six-Day War.

"As a result, Israel gained a major defensive position and strategic depth it had never previously possessed," Diker said, noting that Israel had been only nine miles wide at its narrowest point in the north.

After the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, Diker said its strategic importance has increased amid concerns that a similar large-scale attack could occur there, given the widespread flow of weapons.

"Although we control between 60% and 75% of the region, Iran has been penetrating the Jordanian border," he said, adding that Hamas incitement has energized jihadist networks.

Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for Hebron — the cradle of Jewish civilization located in Judea — told Fox News Digital that the vast majority of events described in the Bible took place in Judea and Samaria.

Hebron, he said, is home to the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, while Jerusalem is where the two Jewish Temples stood and where King David reigned. In Bet El, the Biblical account of Jacob’s dream of the ladder took place.

"The reason we have national aspirations in the Land of Israel is because of our history," Fleisher said. He also cited an initiative to rename Route 60 — which runs through many Biblical cities — the "Biblical Highway."

Earlier this month, IDF troops were dispatched to the Shavei Shomron Junction following reports that dozens of masked Israeli suspects had vandalized property in the area. Several Palestinian vehicles were torched, and two Palestinians were injured. A day later, IDF troops were dispatched to the area of Jalud following reports that Israeli civilians had vandalized a local school. In a separate incident in the Bizzariya area, several Palestinian vehicles were set on fire and property was damaged.

In 2025, the IDF recorded an increase of approximately 27% in anti-Palestinian crimes.

Governor of Binyamin and Chairman of the Yesha Council Yisrael Ganz told Fox News Digital that Judea and Samaria has been in a state of war since Oct. 7. Over the past year, he said, citing Shin Bet data, there were more than 4,000 attempted attacks against Israelis.

UN AMBASSADOR WALTZ REVEALS TRUMP'S MIDDLE EAST PEACE PLAN IS ‘THE ONLY WAY FORWARD’

Ganz cited former Shin Bet head Yoram Cohen, who said only 1.5% of Shin Bet cases involve Jews, while roughly 80% focus on Arab terrorism.

"Yes, there are incidents of violence, but the number of Jews who attack Arabs is negligible," Ganz said, condemning extremist youth as a small and unrepresentative minority.

Ganz argued that the absence of Israeli sovereignty creates a legal gray zone that enables extremism.

"When there is governance, security and economic opportunity, there is no room for anarchy or violence," he said, envisioning Judea and Samaria as "the Israeli Tuscany."

Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren told Fox News Digital that the two-state solution was never viable but rather a diplomatic reflex.

"The Palestinians hold the world record for a people who have been offered a two-state solution and have rejected it," Oren said. "They rejected it in 1937, the British offer in 1947, the American-Israeli offer in 2001, and the subsequent offer in 2008."

According to polls, Oren said, most Palestinians oppose a two-state solution and support the Oct. 7 attacks.

"Rather, the two-state solution is viewed as an interim stage toward a one-state solution," he said, a phrase often used as a euphemism for the eventual destruction of Israel through demographic change.

While acknowledging Palestinian self-rule in Areas A and B, Oren said a fully sovereign Palestinian state is impossible.

"It could not have control over its borders, nor control over strategic affairs, such as entering a defense pact with Iran. It will never be a classic sovereign state, but it could be more than what they have today," he said.

While a two-state solution once seemed inevitable, Dan Shapiro — who served as U.S. ambassador to Israel under President Barack Obama and as deputy assistant secretary of Defense for the Middle East under President Joe Biden — told Fox News Digital that it has not been viable for many years and may now be harder to envision than ever, particularly in the aftermath of Oct. 7.

ISRAEL CALLS UN PUSH FOR PALESTINE STATEHOOD A ‘CHARADE,’ WARNS OF ‘CONSEQUENCES’ FOR RECOGNITION MOVES

Still, Shapiro said, the framework remains a fixture of Middle East diplomacy due to the lack of viable alternatives for resolving the conflict between two peoples living in one land, each with legitimate claims to a homeland.

"President Trump includes a credible pathway to a Palestinian state in his 20-point plan to stabilize Gaza and remove Hamas from power. Presidents Biden and Trump have both viewed progress toward a Palestinian state as part of the formula to achieve Saudi normalization with Israel," Shapiro said.

"None of this means it can happen soon, or perhaps at all. If it ever does, it will take longer and look different from earlier efforts. It is not a copy-and-paste of ideas from the Oslo era. But that credible pathway to a Palestinian state — one that would live peacefully alongside a secure Israel — difficult as it is, remains relevant," he added.

Shapiro noted that even Israel’s current government — the most right-wing in the country’s history and one that includes multiple proponents of annexation — has stopped short of applying sovereignty across the West Bank, a sign, he said, that the political and diplomatic costs remain too high.

"President Trump has announced that it will not happen because he promised Arab states — the same ones he does business with and relies on to help stabilize Gaza — that it will not happen, and Netanyahu will not oppose him on it," Shapiro said.

Shapiro said that preserving the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state on some portion of the territory — even if it appears distant and would require major changes in Palestinian leadership and society — has remained relevant, even under Israeli governments that profess to oppose any two-state outcome. 

Israel on Monday confirmed that the remains of Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza, have been recovered and returned home after 842 days.

Gvili, who was 24 at the time of his death, served as an Israel Police officer and was killed during fighting on Oct. 7, 2023, after confronting Hamas terrorists near Kibbutz Alumim, according to a statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. His body was later abducted to Gaza.

"Ran, with his broad shoulders and radiant smile, was all heart. A true friend, loved by everyone. He loved life, was a young man of deep values, always spoke at eye level, and carried a powerful yet calm presence," the group said.

Gvili is survived by his parents, Talik and Itzik, his brother Omri, his sister Shira, and extended family.

AMERICAN-ISRAELI IDF PLATOON COMMANDER KILLED IN BATTLE, BODY HELD IN GAZA, IDF SAYS

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said following the completion of an identification process conducted by Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine, in coordination with police and military authorities, that officials informed the Gvili family that their loved one’s remains had been identified and would be returned for burial.

The IDF expressed condolences to the family and said all hostages have now been returned from Gaza to Israel.

"Thank you to all those involved in the operation to bring Ran home. This was an operation of immeasurable importance in fulfilling the sacred obligation to redeem captives," said Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

"After many difficult years, for the first time since 2014, there are no Israeli citizens held hostage in Gaza," he added. "An entire nation prayed and waited for this moment."

COUPLE SEPARATED, KIDNAPPED DURING OCT 7 HAMAS ATTACK FINALLY REUNITED AFTER HOSTAGE ORDEAL

In a statement issued Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the recovery of Gvili’s remains was a key condition for Israel’s agreement to a limited reopening of the Rafah Crossing for pedestrian passage under President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan.

The office said Israel had conditioned a full reopening on the return of all living hostages and a full effort by Hamas to locate and return all deceased hostages.

The return of Gvili’s remains fulfilled the final condition set by Israel for advancing to the next phase of the peace agreement, which the White House said is focused on "lasting peace, stability, reconstruction, and prosperity in the region."

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said he and other senior U.S. officials met with Netanyahu on Saturday to move forward with implementation planning for phase two of the Trump administration’s Gaza peace plan.

"The discussion was constructive and positive, with both sides aligned on next steps and the importance of continued cooperation on all matters critical to the region," said Witkoff in a post on X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Sunday that Israel has agreed to a "limited reopening" of Gaza's Rafah crossing with Egypt under President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan.

In a series of posts on X, Netanyahu's office said the crossing will reopen after the completion of an operation to locate the remains of the final Israeli hostage. The reopening will be limited to pedestrian traffic and remain subject to a full Israeli inspection process.

"As part of President Trump’s 20-point plan, Israel has agreed to a limited reopening of the Rafah Crossing for pedestrian passage only, subject to a full Israeli inspection mechanism," the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel wrote.

The Prime Minister’s Office said the reopening was contingent on the return of all living hostages and what it described as a "100 percent effort" by Hamas to locate and return the remains of all deceased hostages.

NETANYAHU AGREES TO JOIN TRUMP’S GAZA BOARD OF PEACE AFTER INITIAL PUSHBACK

All deceased hostages have been recovered except for police officer Ran Gvili.

"The IDF is currently conducting a focused operation to exhaust all of the intelligence that has been gathered in the effort to locate and return the fallen hostage, Master-Sgt. Ran Gvili, of blessed memory," the Prime Minister’s Office wrote. "Upon completion of this operation, and in accordance with what has been agreed upon with the US, Israel will open the Rafah Crossing."

TRUMP AND WORLD LEADERS SIGN GAZA BOARD OF PEACE CHARTER

HOW THE OCT 7 HAMAS TERROR ATTACKS EXPOSED LONG-RUNNING CONCERNS ABOUT UNRWA, NEW FILM CHARGES

"The State of Israel is committed to the return of Israeli hero Master-Sgt. Ran Gvili and will spare no effort to bring him home for a proper Jewish burial," the statement added.

President Trump released his 20-point plan to end the Gaza war in September. The 20 remaining hostages were freed from captivity in Gaza on Oct. 13.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration formally launched the second phase of the plan, shifting from a ceasefire framework toward a post-ceasefire political and security phase for Gaza.

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff warned that Hamas must fully comply with its obligations under the agreement, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage.

"The U.S. expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage," Witkoff wrote on X on Jan. 14. "Failure to do so will bring serious consequences."

Fox News Digital's Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: As Israeli bulldozers razed structures at the UNRWA headquarters on Tuesday after Israel enacted legislation last year banning the agency’s operations on Israeli territory, a new documentary sheds light on the controversial U.N. agency for its close relationship with Hamas terrorists, and its lax controls of allowing antisemitism to be taught to generations of its students.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini condemned the move against the UNRWA buildings, calling it a violation of international law, while Israeli officials said the compound had not been in active use and that the demolition was carried out in accordance with Israeli law.

The development comes weeks after the United Nations General Assembly voted to renew UNRWA’s mandate through 2029, despite growing opposition and abstentions from several Western countries. The renewal followed months of controversy surrounding the agency after Israeli authorities provided videos that show UNRWA employees participating in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 massacre. Those allegations remain under investigation, and UNRWA has said it dismissed several staff members following the claims.

TRUMP ADMIN WEIGHS TERRORISM SANCTIONS AGAINST UN PALESTINIAN AID AGENCY OVER HAMAS ALLEGATIONS

During the war in Gaza, the Israeli military has also discovered weapons, tunnel shafts and other Hamas infrastructure in UNRWA facilities, including schools.

Fox News Digital reported last week that UNRWA USA acknowledged reports that the Trump administration is considering designating UNRWA as a foreign terrorist organization and that agency officials urged congressional staffers to oppose the move.

Last October, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, talking to reporters in Israel, reiterated the Trump administration's policy to the U.N. and UNRWA. "The United Nations is here. They’re on the ground. We’re willing to work with them if they can make it work, but not UNRWA. UNRWA became a subsidiary of Hamas."

The new documentary titled "UNraveling UNRWA" is now drawing renewed attention to the agency’s structure, history and political role.

The film examines UNRWA from its establishment in 1949 to its operations today. It features interviews with refugees, Arab and Israeli voices, as well as former UNRWA officials.

Participants in the film argue that UNRWA has long promoted U.N. General Assembly Resolution 194, a 1948 measure Palestinians interpret as granting refugees and their descendants the right to return to homes inside Israel, an idea the documentary shows has helped perpetuate refugee status rather than resolve it.

Zlatko Zigic, former director of the U.N. migration agency from 1997 to 2017, says in the film that "the problem of UNRWA is the concept of endless struggle of Palestinians to return," adding that maintaining a right of return to Israel has "become a tool to perpetuate the conflict."

The documentary also includes scenes filmed inside UNRWA schools, showing classroom lessons in which children are taught that they will one day return to land inside Israel. In one scene presented in the film, Jews are referred to as "the wolves," and a teacher asks elementary school students, "What did the Jews do to us?" before telling them they were expelled and deported, that their families were killed, and they should be grateful to UNRWA, who built refugee camps for them.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, former UNRWA legal adviser James Lindsay, who also appears in the film, said that dynamic lies at the heart of what he believes is a systemic problem.

"The main problem in oversight has to do, I’m pretty sure, likely at the ground level where the local authorities, in this case we’re talking about Gaza, so we’re talking about Hamas," Lindsay said. "The people who work for UNRWA are subject, yes, to UNRWA, but they are even more importantly subject to the local authorities," in this case Hamas.

RUBIO SLAMS UNRWA AS A 'SUBSIDIARY OF HAMAS,' VOWS IT WILL NOT 'PLAY ANY ROLE' IN DELIVERING AID TO GAZA

Lindsay said that while donor governments may see detailed paperwork and reporting, the reality on the ground can look very different.

He said UNRWA leadership historically did not attempt to bar Hamas members from employment, arguing that the organization viewed Hamas as part of Palestinian political life.

"UNRWA has made no effort to keep Hamas out," Lindsay said. "The position for the commissioners-general has been that UNRWA does not have a problem with Hamas."

He described an environment in which local staff and contractors faced severe pressure from Hamas, creating incentives to comply with demands rather than risk retaliation.

ISRAEL SAYS UN MISLEADS WORLD AS GAZA AID STOLEN AND DIVERTED FROM CIVILIANS

"If Hamas comes to you and says, we would like maybe 5% of the concrete you’re using, or maybe you need to show 5% more food was distributed than actually was, you’re not going to say no," he said. "If you don’t do what Hamas says, you’re not going to get fired. You’re going to have very bad things happen to you."

Lindsay said those realities rarely reach senior international staff, who make up only a small fraction of UNRWA’s workforce in Gaza.

"In Gaza you’re talking about maybe 12,000 -13,000 total staff members, of whom maybe 25 are actual internationals," he said.

He said that over time, many humanitarian workers developed what the U.S. State Department refers to as "clientitis," a phenomenon in which aid organizations begin to identify politically with the populations they serve.

"Humanitarian organizations have begun to identify with the people to whom they’re providing humanitarian aid," Lindsay said. "In that case, that means identifying with one strain of the Palestinian political scene, which is Hamas."

Lindsay said he initially believed UNRWA could be reformed but later concluded the agency’s structure made meaningful reform impossible.

"It can’t be reformed in the sense that it’s not allowed to reform by the governmental people in charge," he said. "It’s also difficult to reform UNRWA because the members of UNRWA have become what the State Department calls clientitis."

He also criticized the agency’s handling of educational content, saying teachers in UNRWA schools were subject to the same threats and coercion as other staff.

"What are people going to do under a murderous totalitarian government like Hamas?" Lindsay said. "They’re not going to take their chances."

Following the General Assembly’s recent vote to renew UNRWA’s mandate, Lindsay said the agency views the outcome as a vote of confidence but noted that opposition is growing.

"In 2022, there was one vote against renewing the mandate and 10 abstentions," he said. "Most recently, there were 10 votes against and 18 abstentions. The movement is against UNRWA because of the things that have been brought out over the last few years, particularly since Oct.7 of 2023."

He added that while UNRWA enjoys broad support among U.N. member states, those countries are not the agency’s primary funders.

"The vast majority of countries in the U.N. are anti-West and are certainly pro-UNRWA," Lindsay said. "But donors are the ones that count because the money all comes from voluntary donations, largely by Western countries, the same countries that are becoming nervous. And that is, I think, a real threat to the continuation of UNRWA."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he would join President Donald Trump’s new Board of Peace, after previously criticizing the makeup of its executive committee.

Netanyahu confirmed that he would join the newly established Board of Peace, which the Trump administration says will supervise the next phase of the Gaza peace plan.

The Israeli prime minister's announcement comes after he initially pushed back on Trump's proposal, following the inclusion of Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi as appointed members to a separate "Gaza Executive Board."

Netanyahu’s office said that move was not coordinated with Israel and "runs contrary to its policy."

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU PUSHES BACK ON 'FAKE SPINS' SUGGESTING TENSION BETWEEN HIM AND TRUMP

The announcement coincides with Trump's trip to the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where he is expected to provide more details about the board. Fox News confirmed that the president is planning to arrange a signing ceremony for the Gaza Board of Peace during his visit.

On Tuesday, when asked if the board should replace the United Nations, Trump said, "It might."

Trump said that the world body "hasn’t been very helpful" and "has never lived up to its potential," but added that the U.N. should continue to exist "because the potential is so great."

UN SECURITY COUNCIL BACKS TRUMP'S GAZA PEACE PLAN AFTER WALTZ CALLS TERRITORY 'HELL ON EARTH'

On Jan. 16, the White House said the Board of Peace will play an "essential role" in carrying out all 20 points of the president’s Gaza plan, including providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development.

Dozens of countries have been invited, with notices going out over the weekend, according to officials, including Belarus, China, Ukraine, India, Canada, Argentina, Jordan, Egypt, Hungary and Vietnam, among others.

Others, including the executive arm of the European Union, confirmed that they have received invitations but have not responded.

On Monday, Trump confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin received an invitation to join the new board.

The Kremlin said Putin had received the invitation and was "studying the details," adding it will seek clarity on "all the nuances" in communications with the U.S. government.

France also received an invitation, but does not plan to join "at this stage," according to a French official close to President Emmanuel Macron.

The White House has said Trump will chair the Board of Peace and be joined by senior political, diplomatic and business figures, including Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and billionaire Marc Rowan.

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion, Ashley Carnahan, Gillian Turner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Israel is watching Iran and is sending a blunt warning to the regime, which is facing international pressure over growing protests.

"We are in high readiness," Israeli United Nations Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters. "We are ready with our defense capability, and we're ready with our offensive capabilities... We would advise Iran not to test our capabilities."

Danon also said that Israel was aware of where Iran is keeping its ballistic missiles, something Tehran used against Jerusalem during the 12-day war in June 2025.

In June 2025, Israel started "Operation Rising Lion," which was aimed at destroying Iran's nuclear capabilities. The U.S. ultimately got involved and launched "Operation Midnight Hammer," in which it destroyed Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities.

IRAN LOCKS NATION INTO ‘DARKER’ DIGITAL BLACKOUT, VIEWING INTERNET AS AN ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT’

The diplomat said that what happened over the summer was a "partial" showing of Israel's capabilities, though he did not elaborate on the point.

Danon told reporters that it would ultimately be up to the U.S. to decide what and whether this could happen and that Israel would "respect that decision."

"Our position is very clear, it is a decision of the United States. We are ready," Danon said. "We will not tell the U.S. if they should do it or not do it and when to do it."

The diplomat also implied that the U.S. could be ready to come to Israel's aid, saying that if Iran were to attack Israel that "the U.S. or somebody else will attack them."

When asked about Danon's remarks, a White House official told Fox News Digital that the president was watching the situation in Iran very seriously and that all options remained on the table. The official also credited the president's threats for a series of cancelled executions.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM BOOTS IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FROM DAVOS SUMMIT AMID DEADLY CRACKDOWN ON PROTESTERS

On Tuesday, Iran warned President Donald Trump not to take action against its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"Trump knows that if any hand of aggression is extended toward our leader, we not only cut that hand, but also we will set fire to their world," Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesman for Iran’s armed forces, said, according to The Associated Press.

The remarks came in response to Trump's call for "new leadership in Iran." He made the comment in an interview with Politico and told the outlet that Khamenei "is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people."

Since the protests in Iran began in late December, both the U.S. and Israel have expressed support for the civilians taking to the streets. President Donald Trump threatened that if the regime met protesters with violence, the U.S. would act. However, the U.S. has yet to intervene, and the president has signaled that he has held off on military strikes because of canceled executions.

"I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed a similar message to reporters, saying that all options remained on the table. She told reporters at a White House briefing that Trump told Iran "if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences."

IRAN STATE TV HACKED TO SHOW EXILED CROWN PRINCE PAHLAVI

Israel has been open about its support for the people of Iran, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying on Jan. 11 that the country was "closely monitoring" what was taking place. He also vowed that once Iran was "liberated from the yoke of tyranny" Israel would be prepared to be a partner in peace.

"Israel is closely monitoring the events unfolding in Iran. The protests for freedom have spread throughout the country. The people of Israel, and the entire world, stand in awe of the immense bravery of Iran's citizens. Israel supports their struggle for freedom and firmly condemns the mass killings of innocent civilians," Netanyahu said at the beginning of his weekly cabinet meeting.

"We all hope that the Persian nation will soon be liberated from the yoke of tyranny, and when that day comes, Israel and Iran will once again be faithful partners in building a future of prosperity and peace for both nations," he added.

Iran has also linked the U.S. and Israel to the protests. On Jan. 16, an Iranian ambassador said that both the U.S. and Israel were responsible for instilling "political destabilization, internal unrest and chaos." The representative also blamed the U.S. and Israel for "the innocent blood that has been shed in my country."

Days before the diplomat made his comments, the Iranian mission to the U.N. said on X, "The satanic plot hatched by the United States and the Zionist regime to fragment Iran and to engineer an internal civil war will be neutralized through the national solidarity of the Government and the people of Iran, the ignominy of which will remain upon them."

Iranian officials frequently use the phrase "Zionist regime" to refer to Israel.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which tracks unrest in Iran, reported on Monday that the number of confirmed fatalities reached 4,029 since the protests began. The agency said at least 5,811 people were severely injured and that 26,015 people had been arrested during the protests.

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department and the Iranian Mission to the U.N. for comment.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin received an invitation to join his new Board of Peace that will supervise the next phase of the Gaza peace plan.

Trump confirmed Putin's invitation while speaking to reporters at the College Football National Championship Game in Florida, where Indiana defeated Miami.

"Yeah, he’s been invited," Trump told reporters.

SIX COUNTRIES CONFIRM US INVITATIONS TO GAZA PEACE BOARD

The Kremlin said earlier on Monday that Putin had received the invitation, adding that it is now "studying the details" and will seek clarity of "all the nuances" in communications with the U.S. government.

France has also received an invitation but does not plan to join the Board of Peace "at this stage," a French official close to President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.

The French official said the issue is raising questions, particularly with regard to respect for the principles and structure of the United Nations.

Asked at the championship game about Macron being unlikely to join, Trump took jabs at his French counterpart and threatened tariffs for refusing to accept the invitation.

"Well, nobody wants him because he's going to be out of office very soon," Trump said of Macron.

"I'll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he'll join," he added. "But he doesn't have to join."

LINDSEY GRAHAM MEETS WITH MOSSAD DIRECTOR DURING TRIP TO ISRAEL

Several other countries have also received invitations, including Israel, Canada, Belarus, Slovenia and Thailand.

Morocco, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Hungary and Argentina have already accepted invitations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Iran’s internet blackout has hardened into a permanent system of digital repression, with the regime treating citizens’ access to the outside world as an "existential threat," according to digital rights monitors.

Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported Monday that Iran’s connectivity landscape had shifted dramatically as the country entered its 22nd day of unrest, following several days of almost total nationwide internet shutdown.

"On the twenty-second day, after several days of an almost complete internet shutdown, reports emerged of limited and unstable internet connectivity in some parts of the country," NetBlocks reported.

"Indications are that we’re seeing a move toward a kind of ‘filternet plus’ censorship scheme in Iran," NetBlocks CEO Alp Toker told Fox News Digital before pointing to "a rapid decline into a darker kind of digital darkness."

KHAMENEI CALLS TRUMP A ‘CRIMINAL,’ BLAMES HIM FOR DEADLY PROTESTS SWEEPING IRAN

"The key difference from the pre-protest filternet arrangement is that, while internet platforms were extensively censored before, the regime is selectively whitelisting only a handful of services it deems critical for business needs.

"Even this selective access is sporadic, which means the censorship is likely still in the test phase," he added. "In practice though, ordinary users remain offline."

Toker described how the digital darkness "is in fact getting darker because the information controls are getting tighter."

"Where international links were tolerated as a window to trade, the regime is approaching each of these as potential threats," he said before adding that the regime "sees its own citizens’ ability to communicate with the rest of the world as an existential threat because the people are disaffected."

According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) at least 2,571 people were killed as of Monday, with additional deaths reported but not yet fully verified amid the communications blackout.

The internet blackout began Jan. 8 amid escalating demonstrations since Dec. 28, as authorities sought to prevent protesters from organizing, sharing videos of crackdowns and communicating with the outside world.

Since then, connectivity has remained inconsistent, with frequent outages and throttling even when partial access is restored.

IRAN ACCUSED OF KILLING 16,500 IN SWEEPING ‘GENOCIDE’ CRACKDOWN: REPORT

Iran International reported the blackout was expected to last until at least late March, with IranWire saying government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told media activists that access to international online services would not be restored before Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, on March 20.

"Having internet access was always a window to the outside and a lifeline for many Iranians," Toker added. "It allowed for personal expression and culture that is banned by the regime."

"These online freedoms can be as simple as online gaming, watching foreign movies or women’s ability to participate equally in spaces that would otherwise be barred by the Islamic Republic," he added.

"With the internet blackout continuing, the curtain has been drawn on that window," Toker said. "This is angering many Iranians, particularly Gen Z, who stand to lose a part of their identity."

The blackout has also coincided with cyber incidents targeting Iran’s state infrastructure.

IRAN PUSHES FOR FAST TRIALS AND EXECUTIONS OF SUSPECTS DETAINED IN PROTESTS DESPITE TRUMP'S WARNING: REPORT

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, anti-regime activists hacked Iran’s national broadcaster, briefly interrupting state television to air protest messages and calls from Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah and a prominent opposition figure.

"We aren’t able to see the specific hack here," Toker explained. "The lack of up-to-date security is an issue for Iran."

"It is caused directly by the country’s digital isolation," he said. "Iran’s internet systems are outdated, and security tools aren’t available due to internet restrictions."

Toker added that embargoes force widespread use of pirated software, which often contains hidden vulnerabilities that can be exploited to breach critical networks.

He said cyber warfare played a major role during the June 2025 clashes between Israel and Iran, prompting the blackout as a defensive measure against digital attacks. Israel, he noted, also restricted parts of its own network at the time.

"In 2026, we haven’t seen the same focus on cyber incidents, but it’s clear there’s an ongoing battle between state actors as well as individual hackers," Toker said.

The United States has extended invitations to multiple foreign governments to join President Donald Trump’s "Board of Peace," with at least six countries confirming on Sunday that they were invited.

The Associated Press reported the six countries are: Jordan, Greece, Cyprus, Pakistan, Hungary and India.

Canada, Turkey, Egypt, Paraguay, Argentina and Albania have already said they too were invited, according to the outlet.

The White House on Friday released a statement outlining the next phase of Trump’s Gaza peace plan, naming senior international figures to oversee governance, reconstruction and long-term development of the enclave.

FROM GAZA TO IRAN: WHAT’S AT STAKE IN TRUMP-NETANYAHU MAR-A-LAGO TALKS?

"The Board of Peace will play an essential role in fulfilling all 20 points of the President’s plan, providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development," the statement said in part.

Trump will chair the board and be joined by a group of senior political, diplomatic and business figures, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and billionaire Marc Rowan, among others.

The Gaza Executive Board, which supports governance and the delivery of services, will work alongside the Office of the High Representative and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza to advance "peace, stability, and prosperity."

US ENVOY WITKOFF SAYS HIGH-LEVEL MIAMI TALKS FOCUSED ON 'UNIFIED GAZAN AUTHORITY' AS ISRAEL CEASEFIRE ADVANCES

Notably, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi were named as appointed members.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on X that the composition of the Gaza Executive Board was not coordinated with Israel and "runs contrary to its policy."

Netanyahu’s office said it told Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to contact Rubio to convey Israel’s concerns.

Under Trump's plan, Hamas was to turn over all living and deceased hostages that were still being held in Gaza. To date, one dead hostage, Ran Gvili, has yet to be handed over.

The White House said additional Executive Board and Gaza Executive Board members will be announced over the coming weeks.

FIRST ON FOX: Multiple documents released by Argentine President Javier Milei last year reveal how Argentina’s search for Nazi war criminals, who found refuge in the country during and after the Second World War, were able to avoid arrest and, for the most part, live ordinary lives.

While Argentina’s Peronist government sympathized and often knew of Nazi criminals hiding in their territory – often under their auspices – once the populist regime fell, the South American nation half-heartedly tried to keep tabs on the war criminals hiding there. 

Though many high-profile cases went nowhere, the case of Hitler’s henchman Martin Bormann is exemplary in showing how inefficient Argentina was in its investigations.

ARGENTINA REVEALS SECRET WWII FILES ON HITLER'S HENCHMEN WHO FLED BEFORE, AFTER THE WAR

Bormann was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi regime, despite his relatively low profile to the public. He used his position as private secretary to Hitler and head of the Nazi Party Chancellery to control the flow of documents personally received by Hitler and who had access to him.

Through enormous administrative influence, he shaped policy and controlled what Hitler saw, who he met, and advised on major decisions. Bormann supported extreme antisemitic measures and was one of the masterminds of the Aryanization project. Bormann disappeared in May 1945 during the fall of Berlin. For decades, it was speculated he had fled to Argentina along the ratlines — escape routes facilitated by Nazi sympathizers. Bormann was sentenced to death in absentia during the Nuremberg Trials.

The files show that Bormann was one of the very few Nazis the Argentinians actively tried to pursue and bring to justice. However, most of the leads came from sensationalist press articles often devoid of factual and actionable intelligence beyond the mere mention that he was hiding in Argentina.

The files meticulously depict intelligence agencies trying to corroborate such reports and assert whether the floated false aliases matched the actual man in Argentina. Agencies followed information coming from reports in the Argentine, U.S., British and Brazilian press, along with some translations from German-language media published in Argentina by the émigré community who were suspected of harboring Nazi sympathizers.

The articles triggered extensive paper trails between the ministry of justice, intelligence bodies, border and customs agencies, the federal police, and local authorities, but were often disconnected from one another, or took a long time to be referred to the various sub-offices for action.

ARGENTINA REVEALS SECRET WWII FILES ON HITLER'S HENCHMEN WHO FLED BEFORE, AFTER THE WAR

As a result, multiple similar searches were carried out at various points haphazardly and a tangle of bureaucracy made authorities play catch up to press reports rather than conduct independent and rational investigations. The files are a testament that the hunt for Nazis in South America was shaped by rumor, miscommunication, mistaken identities, Cold War politics and intense media speculation.

Some of the information reviewed by Fox News Digital showed authorities took rumors such as a hunt for Bormann in the jungles of Peru, Colombia and Brazil as credible. A case of an elderly German man detained in Colombia in 1972 as Bormann (later cleared and released) despite voiced skepticism by Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal is also part of the files.

The diplomatic shockwaves that followed Israel’s Mossad seizing Adolf Eichmann in Argentina left local officials acutely sensitive to international scrutiny, recasting the search for Bormann as a bid to ensure the country would not be embarrassed on the world stage a second time.

A pivotal—and ultimately flawed—lead in the Bormann files emerged in 1955, when police, relying on fading testimonies about an illegal German laborer, along with rumors, seized correspondence and aging witnesses, began pursuing a man named Walter Wilhelm Flegel.

Flegel had arrived through Chile, was missing an arm due to an accident, and had been previously arrested and brought to court twice on assault and robbery charges. Suspicions led to his arrest in Mendoza in 1960 despite his complete dissemblance, lack of education, long presence in the country, age gaps and missing factual connections that could tie him to Bormann. Notwithstanding such mismatching profiles — and fingerprints — it still took a week for Argentinians to be convinced Flegel was not Bormann and free him.

Ultimately, despite continued rumors, and Argentina’s singular resolve in finally arresting one of the many Nazi fugitives thought to be in the country, human remains found in Berlin in 1972 were a match and confirmed Bormann’s death during the city’s fall through dental and cranial records. Later, in the 1990s, further DNA testing confirmed the remains found in Berlin indeed belonged to Bormann, bringing the misdirected Argentinian search finally to a close.

President Donald Trump’s administration formally launched the second phase of its plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas this week, shifting from a ceasefire framework toward a post-ceasefire political and security phase for Gaza. The announcement immediately raised a central question that now dominates expert analysis: who will actually disarm Hamas.

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff announced Wednesday that phase two is underway, describing it as a transition "from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance and reconstruction." He warned that Hamas must fully comply with its obligations under the deal, including the immediate return of the final deceased Israeli hostage.

"The U.S. expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage," Witkoff wrote on X. "Failure to do so will bring serious consequences."

As Washington announced the move to Phase Two before Ran Gvili’s return, his family, other hostage families, residents of Gaza border communities, police officers, and captivity survivor Agam Berger gathered Friday at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, urging that Gvili, who has been held captive for 833 days, be brought home before any transition to the next phase.

TRUMP FACES MIDDLE EAST TEST AS NETANYAHU BALKS AT ERDOGAN’S GAZA TROOP HOPES

President Donald Trump reinforced the administration’s announcement on Thursday, writing on Truth Social that the United States had "OFFICIALLY entered the next phase of Gaza’s 20-Point Peace Plan," following Witkoff’s remarks. Trump said that since the ceasefire, his team had helped deliver "RECORD LEVELS of Humanitarian Aid to Gaza, reaching Civilians at HISTORIC speed and scale," adding that "even the United Nations has acknowledged this achievement as UNPRECEDENTED." 

Trump wrote that these developments had "set the stage for this next phase," which he said would include backing a newly appointed Palestinian technocratic government, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, to govern the territory during a transitional period. Trump described himself as chairman of the Board of Peace and said the committee would be supported by the board’s high representative. 

Trump again warned that Hamas must "IMMEDIATELY honor its commitments, including the return of the final body to Israel, and proceed without delay to full Demilitarization," adding, "They can do this the easy way, or the hard way." Trump concluded the post by saying, "The people of Gaza have suffered long enough. The time is NOW. PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH."

The new phase envisions the establishment of a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, while the United States works with Egypt and other regional partners to ensure compliance and stability. Yet the announcement offered few operational details, particularly regarding how Hamas would be disarmed after more than two decades of military control in the enclave.

MIDDLE EAST OFFICIALS LOOK TOWARD SECOND PHASE OF ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASEFIRE WITH TWO HOSTAGES LEFT IN GAZA

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Jérôme Bonnafont, France’s ambassador to the United Nations, called the ceasefire an "incredible achievement" and said phase two could help lay the groundwork for peace without Hamas.

"The Trump plan is establishing a ceasefire, which is an incredible achievement," Bonnafont said. "It has to go to a massive reopening of humanitarian aid, and it is going to be announced within a couple of days."

He said the next stage includes an international stabilization force that would support reconstruction and contribute to Hamas’s disarmament.

"That would help disarm Hamas, and that will help the Palestinian Authority return and democratically restart the management of Gaza as part of the Palestinian territory," he said.

Bonnafont emphasized that France views Israel’s security as a priority, particularly in the face of regional threats. "We have always been on the side of Israel when it comes, for example, to the threats by Iran to the existence of Israel," he said.

At the same time, he said France believes long-term security depends on the creation of a demilitarized Palestinian state living in peace with Israel. "We believe that security for Israel in the long term comes with the creation of Palestine," Bonnafont said. "A Palestine that has to be independent but demilitarized and in peace with Israel."

The United Nations also welcomed the announcement of phase two, calling it "an important step" while emphasizing adherence to international law and existing U.N. resolutions.

ISRAEL SHUTS DOOR ON TURKEY IN GAZA AS TRUMP PRAISES ERDOGAN, PLAYS DOWN CLASH

Israeli and U.S. security analysts broadly agree that phase two cannot succeed without addressing Hamas’s weapons and coercive power.

Dr. Avner Golov, vice president of the Israeli policy institute Mind Israel, told Fox News Digital that, "The central challenge is Hamas’s demilitarization," Golov said. "The only actors truly willing to dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities are the Israelis, and as long as Hamas remains armed, there should be no rebuilding and no IDF withdrawal from the current defensive line."

"In the end, there must be a credible military threat from the IDF against Hamas," he said. "Without such a threat, I see no chance that Hamas will voluntarily disarm."

Golov also pointed to what he described as a gap between diplomatic commitments and action by regional actors. "The key test is Turkey and Qatar," he said. "They signed a document committing to Hamas’s disarmament, but since then they have not demonstrated real commitment to implementing it."

US SEEKS UN AUTHORIZATION FOR GAZA INTERNATIONAL FORCE LASTING THROUGH 2027 UNDER TRUMP PLAN

Jonathan Ruhe, a fellow for American Strategy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), argued that phase two presents a detailed reconstruction framework but avoids the most politically difficult decision.

"The peace plan offers a detailed framework for rebuilding Gaza and promoting better governance," Ruhe said. "But it’s silent on the ‘who’ and ‘how’ of disarming Hamas."

"As long as Hamas can interrupt aid distribution, intimidate and kill Gazans who want a better future, and threaten renewed war with Israel, international investment in reconstruction and reform will be near zero," he said.

While Trump’s plan calls for Hamas to disarm voluntarily, Ruhe also said Hamas has little reason to do so. "Hamas refuses because it thinks it won the war," he said. "Now there is an urgent need to decide who will disarm Hamas forcefully."

Ruhe noted that a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizes an International Stabilization Force to disarm Hamas, but he said no country has been willing to put troops in that role. Instead, he said the Trump plan outlines a more limited mission for international forces, focused on guarding aid sites and preventing Hamas resupply.

"Trump and Netanyahu both said Israel might have to disarm Hamas," Ruhe said. "But the IDF ground forces need to rest and refit after two years of grueling combat, and a major offensive risks blowing up the international coalition needed for phase two."

He suggested that well-vetted private military contractors, overseen by U.S. security officials rather than U.S. Central Command, could play a role, though he acknowledged such a move would involve "hard fighting."

Despite diplomatic momentum, analysts interviewed by Fox News Digital cautioned that time may be working against the plan. "The status quo favors Hamas as it continues tightening its grip over its half of Gaza," Ruhe said. "Announcing the Board of Peace serves important diplomatic purposes, but it won’t mean much on the ground unless and until Hamas is disarmed."

Golov echoed that assessment. "As long as Hamas remains armed, there should be no rebuilding and no IDF withdrawal from the current defensive line," he said.

Iran issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) alert late Wednesday, closing airspace to all flights except international flights with prior permission from the country.

The NOTAM will be in effect for just over two hours.

Flight tracking data showed multiple planes were either denied entry to Iran or rerouted around the country, according to the Flight Radar 24 website.

IRANIANS ABLE TO MAKE SOME INTERNATIONAL CALLS AS INTERNET REMAINS BLOCKED AMID PROTESTS

Minutes later, the U.S. embassies in Jerusalem, Qatar and Kuwait issued security alerts advising "increased caution," limiting non-essential travel to Al Udeid Air Base, and temporarily halting movement into facilities at Camp Arifjan, Camp Buehring, Ali Al Salem Air Base and Camp Patrio.

The U.K. Foreign Office (FCDO) also issued an advisory recommending against "all but essential travel to Israel."

"There is a heightened risk of regional tension," officials wrote in the advisory. "Escalation could lead to travel disruption and other unanticipated impacts."

A U.S. official told Reuters Wednesday the Department of War was moving personnel amid rising tensions.

"All the signals are that a U.S. attack is imminent, but that is also how this administration behaves to keep everyone on their toes. Unpredictability is part of the strategy," a Western military official told the outlet.

Hours before the NOTAM alert was issued, President Donald Trump told reporters from the Oval Office the killing of protesters in Iran had ended.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN 'STARTING TO' CROSS US RED LINES AS PROTESTERS DIE IN GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN

"We've been told that the killing in Iran is stopping, and it's stopped and stopping, and there's no plan for executions or an execution," Trump said. "So, I've been told that on good authority. We'll find out about."

When asked about potential military action against the country, Trump said, "We're going to watch and see what the process is.

"We were given a very good, very good statement by people that are aware of what's going on."

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime has recently come under fire, with reports claiming more than 3,000 people have been killed amid nationwide protests over economic grievances and political repression.

Trump announced Tuesday he canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the killings stopped.

In a statement Wednesday, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said Khamenei, through the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), "has turned his weapons against our people, while young Iranians, armed with little more than determination, have risen to defend and protect unarmed and innocent civilians." 

"In this ruthless confrontation, in which thousands of innocent Iranians have been killed over the past two weeks, neutrality is not an option," NCRI president-elect Maryam Rajavi wrote in a statement on X. "At a minimum, the international community must recognize the legitimate struggle of Iran’s youth and Resistance Units against the #IRGC to bring an end to this regime.

"European governments must designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, an action long overdue. The regime’s embassies and representative offices should be closed, and its envoys expelled."

The Iranian United Nations (UN) ambassador later sent a letter to the UN, accusing Iranian protesters of "deliberately inciting violence" and "equipping terrorist and armed groups to turn peaceful protests into political destabilization."

Danny Danon, Israel's Ambassador to the UN, shared the letter on X, calling it "beyond belief."

"This is the same regime that shoots protesters, hangs opponents, and oppresses an entire people," Danon wrote in the post. "These are nothing but crocodile tears from a murderous regime."

Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

As protests spread across Iran and the government responds with lethal force, amid increasing reports claiming thousands have been killed, a growing question is being debated by analysts and Iranians alike: Is the Islamic Republic facing its most serious threat since the 1979 revolution, or does it still retain enough coercive power to survive?

For Mehdi Ghadimi, an Iranian journalist who spent decades protesting the regime before being forced to leave the country, this moment feels fundamentally different from anything that came before.

"From 1999, when I was about 15, until 2024, when I was forced to leave Iran, I took part in every street protest against the Islamic Republic," Ghadimi told Fox News Digital. "For roughly half of those years, I supported the reformist movement. But after 2010, we became certain that the Islamic Republic is not reformable, that changing its factions is a fiction."

EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE APPEALS TO TRUMP AS IRAN PROTESTS MARK ‘DEFINING' MOMENT

According to Ghadimi, that realization gradually spread across Iranian society, culminating in what he describes as a decisive shift in the current unrest.

"For the first time in the 47 years of struggle by the Iranian people against the Islamic Republic, the idea of returning to the period before January 1979 became the sole demand and the central point of unity among the people," he said. "As a result, we witnessed the most widespread presence of people from all cities and villages of Iran in the streets, on a scale unprecedented in any previous protests."

Ghadimi claimed the chants on the streets reflected that shift. Instead of demanding economic relief or changes to dress codes, protesters openly called for the fall of the Islamic Republic and the return of the Pahlavi dynasty.

"At that point, it no longer seemed that we were merely protesting," he said. "We were, in fact, carrying out a revolution."

IRAN'S KHAMENEI ISSUES DIRECT WARNING TO UNITED STATES IN RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE POSTS

Still, Ghadimi was clear about what he believes is preventing the regime’s collapse.

"The answer is very clear," he said. "The government sets no limit for itself when it comes to killing its own people."

He added that Tehran appears reassured by the lack of consequences for its actions. "It has also been reassured by the behavior of other countries that if it manages to survive, it will not be punished for these blatant crimes against humanity," he said. "The doors of diplomacy will always remain open to them, even if their hands are stained with blood."

Ghadimi described how the regime cut off internet access to disrupt coordination between protesters and opposition leadership abroad. He said that once connectivity was severed, the reach of video messages from the exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi dropped dramatically.

While Iranian voices describe a revolutionary moment, security and policy experts caution that structural realities still favor the regime.

Javed Ali, an associate professor at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, said the Islamic Republic is facing far more serious threats to its grip on power than in years past, driven by a convergence of military, regional, economic and diplomatic pressures.

IRAN REGIME SAID TO UNLEASH HEZBOLLAH AND IRAQI MILITIAS AS UPRISING SPREADS

"The IRGC is in a much weaker position following the 12-day war with Israel last summer," Ali said, citing "leadership removals, ballistic missile and drone capabilities that were used or damaged, and an air and radar defense network that has been significantly degraded."

Ali said Iran’s regional deterrence has also eroded sharply. "The so-called Axis of Resistance has been significantly weakened across the region," he said, pointing to setbacks suffered by Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Shiite militias allied with Tehran.

Internally, Ali said demographic pressure is intensifying the challenge. "Iran’s younger population is even more frustrated than before with deteriorating economic conditions, ongoing social and cultural restrictions and repeated violent crackdowns on dissent," he said.

US HOSTAGES IN IRAN FACE HEIGHTENED RISK AS PROTESTS SPREAD, EXPERTS SAY NUMBER HELD MAY EXCEED ESTIMATES

Ali also pointed to shifting external dynamics that are limiting Tehran’s room to maneuver, including what he described as a stronger U.S.-Israel relationship tied to the Netanyahu-Trump alliance. He added that there are "possible joint operations already underway to support the protest movement inside Iran."

Israeli security sources, speaking on background, said Israel has no such interest in intervening in a way that would allow Tehran to redirect domestic unrest outward.

"Everyone understands it is better to sit and wait quietly and not attract the fire toward Israel," one source said. "The regime would like to make this about Israel and the Zionist enemy and start another war to repress internal protests."

"It is not Israel against Iran," the source added. "We recognize that the regime has an interest in provoking us, and we do not want to contribute to that."

The source said a collapse of the Islamic Republic would have far-reaching consequences. "If the regime falls, it will affect the entire Middle East," the official said. "It could open a new era."

Ali said Iran is increasingly isolated diplomatically. "There is growing isolation from Gulf monarchies, the fall of Assad in Syria and only muted support from China and Russia," he said.

Despite those pressures, Ali cautioned that Iran’s coercive institutions remain loyal.

"I think the IRGC, including Basiji paramilitary elements, along with the Ministry of Intelligence, are still loyal to the regime out of a mix of ideology, religion, and self-interest," he said, citing "power, money and influence."

Whether fear of collapse could drive insiders to defect remains unclear. "Whether there are insiders willing to flip because of a sense of imminent collapse of the clerical structure is hard to know," Ali said.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN 'STARTING TO' CROSS US RED LINES AS PROTESTERS DIE IN GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN

He placed the probability of an internal regime collapse at "25% or less," calling it "possible, but far less probable."

For now, Iran appears caught between two realities: a population increasingly unified around the rejection of the Islamic Republic and a security apparatus still willing to use overwhelming force to preserve it.

As Ali noted, pressure alone does not bring regimes down. The decisive moment comes only when those ordered to enforce repression decide it is no longer in their interest to do so.

Despite the scale of unrest, Ghadimi cautioned that the outcome remains uncertain.

"After these four hellish days, without even knowing the fate of our friends and loved ones who went into the streets, or whether they were alive or not, it is truly difficult for me to give you a clear assessment and say whether our revolution is now moving toward victory or not," he said.

He recalled a message he heard repeatedly before leaving Iran, across cities and social classes.

"The only thing I consistently heard was this: ‘We have nothing left to lose, and even at the cost of our lives, we will not retreat one step from our demand for the fall of the Islamic Republic,’" Ghadimi said. "They asked me to promise that now that I am outside Iran, I would be their voice."

"That spirit is what still gives my heart hope for victory," he added. "But my mind tells me that when mass killing carries no punishment, and when the government possesses enough bullets, guns and determination to suppress it, even if it means killing millions, then victory would require a miracle."