Two Swedes were convicted in a Danish court of terrorism and attempted murder for detonating two hand grenades near the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen in October 2024.

The younger of the two men, who is 18 years old, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while his older accomplice, aged 21, was sentenced to 14 years, according to The Associated Press, which cited Swedish news agency TT. The two men, who have not been identified, were said to be acting on behalf of a criminal gang, the AP reported.

The attack occurred on Oct. 2, 2024, when the two threw hand grenades towards the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen. The grenades detonated on the terrace of a residential building, which was inhabited by a family with children, according to the AP. No one was injured in the blasts. The nearby Jewish school, Carolineskolen, was closed when the attack took place.

AMERICANS WARNED BY US EMBASSY IN ISRAEL TO PREPARE FOR ‘CRISES’ AMID IRAN TENSIONS

The two men admitted to throwing the grenades, but denied being ideologically motivated, saying they did it for money, the AP reported.

IRAN-DIRECTED PLOT TO ASSASSINATE ISRAEL’S AMBASSADOR TO MEXICO THWARTED, OFFICIALS REVEAL

The Danish court was reportedly split on whether the two should be convicted of terrorism. Two judges and four jurors concluded that they were guilty, while one judge and two jurors disagreed, according to the AP, which cited TT.

At the time of the attack, Israel's war in Gaza had been ongoing for nearly a year following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, massacre that left 1,200 dead and resulted in the taking of 251 hostages. Throughout the war, Jerusalem faced international scrutiny as world leaders debated whether the Israel Defense Forces' actions in Gaza were excessive.

The war ended in October 2025 with a peace deal brokered under the Trump administration.

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.

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. 

President Donald Trump and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said Thursday they believe Hamas will disarm under a U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire plan as it enters its second phase.

But as regional analysts warned the terror group has no intention of disarming and could ultimately block Trump’s Gaza plan, Hamas officials also pushed back on Trump's claim.

Speaking during his 10th Cabinet meeting of his second term, Trump appeared confident the Palestinian Islamist militant group would throw down their weapons.

"And now we want to get Hamas, no guns, right? To disarm," Trump said before adding, "A lot of people said they’ll never disarm. It looks like they’re gonna disarm."

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

Witkoff echoed Trump’s assessment and told the president the process was already underway.

"We’ve got the terrorists out of there, and they’re going to demilitarize. They will, because they have no choice," Witkoff said. "They’re going to give it up. They’re going to give up the AK-47s."

Regional analysts warned the terror group has no intention of disarming and could even block Trump’s Gaza plan altogether.

National security analyst Kobi Michael said Hamas "doesn’t intend to disarm itself and never intended to."

"Hamas will do all the possible and creative maneuvers and manipulations in order to keep its power and influence in the Gaza Strip," professor Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital.

He added that "they don’t really talk to each other and do not really understand each other," suggesting gaps between the two sides.

AFTER TRUMP DECLARES ‘WAR IS OVER,’ HAMAS EXECUTES RIVALS IN GAZA TO REASSERT CONTROL

"The Israel Defense Forces are the only entity that can disarm Hamas," Michael said, noting that "no one besides Turkey is willing to send its troops to the International Stabilization Force in order to fight Hamas," referring to the planned force authorized by the United Nations to oversee security and demilitarization in Gaza.

Senior Hamas officials flatly contradicted the White House narrative Thursday, according to The Times of Israel.

Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk said the group "never agreed to disarm; no one’s raised it with us directly," stressing that Hamas remains firmly in control in Gaza.

The outlet also reported that Abu Marzouk indicated Hamas retains a de facto veto over appointments to a newly formed technocratic committee meant to govern the Strip.

The committee, announced as part of Phase Two of Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, is intended to oversee Gaza’s civilian affairs and manage reconstruction once the ceasefire stabilizes.

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

Witkoff said, "We are in the second phase now… we’ve stood up, for the first time, Mr. President, on your behalf, a technocratic, all-Arab government."

The body is expected to provide basic services to Gaza’s more than 2 million residents, even as the United Nations estimates reconstruction costs will exceed $50 billion.

But Michael warned the new structure is vulnerable to Hamas manipulation, with the group likely to exploit any new setup.

"They will use the existing bureaucracy that will be operated by the technocrats to control and influence the way this government will actually operate — the Hezbollah model," he said.

He added that Hamas has already "demanded more time, Israeli troop withdrawals and immediate reconstruction while quietly preserving its military capabilities."

"Trump may conclude that nobody can disarm Hamas but the Israel Defense Forces," Michael said. "Then it will become clear that Hamas is the ultimate spoiler and is a major obstacle in Trump’s Gaza plan."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

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.

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."

The Trump administration has stepped up pressure on Sir Keir Starmer after imposing sanctions on a Britain-based activist accused by U.S. intelligence of working on behalf of Hamas, according to reports.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced Jan. 21 that it was "taking action against Hamas’s covert links to nonprofit organizations." 

The statement went on to name six Gaza-based groups and the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA).

U.S. officials said the PCPA operates as a front for Hamas overseas. OFAC also designated Zaher Birawi, 64, accusing him of being a "senior official" in Hamas through his leadership role in the PCPA.

UK PRIME MINISTER SLAMMED FOR WELCOMING HOME FREED EGYPTIAN PRISONER AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS RESURFACE

The Treasury Department said Birawi is a founding member of the organization and part of its general secretariat, alleging the group was used to "clandestinely expand" Hamas’ international influence and fundraising.

This included backing flotillas that attempted to reach Gaza. Some have received public backing from prominent activists, including Greta Thunberg.

"Hamas continues to show a callous disregard for the welfare of the Palestinian people," John K. Hurley, the U.S. Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a statement.

Hurley added that "the Trump administration will not look the other way while Hamas leadership and enablers exploit the financial system to fund terrorist operations."

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

The sanctions have put pressure on the U.K., which has been reviewing possible counterterror measures against Birawi for weeks, according to The Times.

U.K. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said it was "good to see" the U.S. take action, adding, "Under no circumstances should Britain be a place of sanctuary for anyone involved in or supportive of terrorist (organizations) like Hamas."

Alex Hearn of Labour Against Antisemitism said Birawi continued to broadcast from London and organize flotillas despite the U.S. designation.

Lord Austin of Dudley has urged the U.K. to examine the intelligence "very carefully."

Birawi, who lives in Barnet in north London, has been in the U.K. for more than 30 years.

He chairs the Palestine Forum in Britain and is a prominent organizer of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the city.

He has been named in Parliament as a security concern, and Israel designated him a Hamas member in 2013, allegations he has consistently denied.

In 2023, Birawi said he is a "law-abiding British citizen" and rejected claims of links to Hamas, saying his work focuses on "defending the national and human rights of Palestinians who survive under occupation."

Fox News Digital has reached out to Birawi and Sir Keir Starmer's office for comment.

President Donald Trump has suggested his proposed "Board of Peace" in Gaza could replace the U.N., underscoring what one national security analyst has described as a revision of the "existing international order."

Asked Tuesday whether he envisioned the new body supplanting the U.N., Trump replied, "It might."

Speaking at a White House press conference, the president also told reporters the U.N. has consistently failed to fulfill its mission.

"The UN just hasn’t been very helpful. I’m a big fan of the UN, but it has never lived up to its potential," Trump said. While arguing the U.N. should continue to exist, he added, "The UN should have settled every one of the wars that I settled."

TRUMP’S PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH IN 2025: WHERE WARS STOPPED AND RIVALS CAME TO THE TABLE

National security analyst Kobi Michael claimed the proposal already signaled a break with the international order that has defined global politics for decades.

"The norms, international institutions and organizations and liberalism are out, and real politics, interests and power are in," Prof. Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital, before adding that "the EU is much less important."

Michael's comments come as the Trump administration moved forward with plans for the board, an initiative officials say extends far beyond the immediate conflict in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement Jan. 16, the White House said, in alignment with the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, 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."

US OFFICIALS TOUT PROGRESS IN TALKS TO REACH 'LASTING AND DURABLE PEACE' BETWEEN UKRAINE, RUSSIA

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, preparations are said to be underway for a signing ceremony in Davos, Switzerland with Bloomberg first reporting the plans.

"Dozens" of countries were invited, officials confirmed, with formal invitations sent Friday. Trump extended invitations to leaders from Russia, Belarus, China, Ukraine, India, Canada, Argentina, Jordan, Egypt, Hungary, and Vietnam, among others.

The White House 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.

According to Michael, the initiative reflects a new approach to the international system.

"We are talking about something which is much bigger than the Gaza Strip," he said, before describing "a revisionist approach of President Trump regarding the existing international order, where the board is a tool in his vision of changing the existing international order."

Michael said Iran sits at the center of that calculation, as protests engulfed the country amid economic and political pressure.

UN CHIEF ACCUSES US OF DITCHING INTERNATIONAL LAW AS TRUMP BLASTS GLOBAL BODIES

"Iran is the real game changer, and we are in front of a very significant and dramatic change, well coordinated with Prime Minister Netanyahu," he said.

Russia’s role on the board is uncertain, with the Trump administration extending invitations to Russia and Belarus, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirming President Vladimir Putin is reviewing the offer.

Michael suggested Moscow’s participation would come with conditions. "If Putin is in it, it will be in order to finish the Ukrainian war and be forced to give up on some major demands," he said. 

"The president invited Putin to join the board basing an understanding with him about division of power and influence, promising him to relieve sanctions and cut a deal."

"Still, alliances are out, whereas allies and regional structures are in," Michael added.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

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.

The U.S. has designated three branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, in a move that could impact Washington's relationships with Qatar and Turkey.

The Treasury and State departments announced the moves against the Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian chapters of the group, which the Trump administration asserts pose risks to the U.S.

MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRY STOPS SPONSORING STUDENTS STUDYING IN BRITAIN OVER FEAR OF RADICALIZATION: REPORT

The State Department gave the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood the most severe of its labels, designating it a foreign terrorist organization, which makes it illegal to provide material support to the group, The Associated Press reported. Additionally, the Treasury Department labeled the Jordanian and Egyptian branches as specially designated global terrorists for providing support to Hamas. The Lebanese chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood was also given a special designation by the Treasury Department.

"These designations reflect the opening actions of an ongoing, sustained effort to thwart Muslim Brotherhood chapters’ violence and destabilization wherever it occurs," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, according to the AP. "The United States will use all available tools to deprive these Muslim Brotherhood chapters of the resources to engage in or support terrorism."

SCATHING REPORT CALLS ON US TO LABEL ISLAMIST GROUP INFILTRATING ALL ASPECTS OF AMERICAN LIFE AS TERRORIST ORG

The labeling of the Jordanian chapter as a specially designated global terrorists comes months after Amman announced a sweeping ban on the organization. The AP noted that while the Jordanian monachy had previously banned the Muslim Brotherhood a decade ago, it officially licensed a splinter group and continued to tolerate the Islamic Action Front while restricting some of its activities. The Islamic Action Front, a political party linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, won several seats in the 2024 parliamentary elections.

In November, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for "certain chapters or other subdivisions of the Muslim Brotherhood" to be considered for designation as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terror organizations.

The Muslim Brotherhood's "chapters in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns that harm their own regions, United States citizens, and United States interests," the executive order reads.

The order goes on to state that after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, "the military wing of the Lebanese chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood joined Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian factions to launch multiple rocket attacks against both civilian and military targets within Israel." It also adds that the Egyptian chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood "called for violent attacks" against U.S. partners and interests on Oct. 7, 2023. Additionally, the order states that the Jordanian chapter's leaders "have long provided material support to the militant wing of Hamas."

Both Florida and Texas have designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, something Trump contemplated doing in 2019 during his first term in office.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.