President Biden issued a statement Tuesday night hours after an explosion at the Al Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza that left over 500 people dead, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Biden, who is scheduled to visit the region on Wednesday, said the following:

"I am outraged and deeply saddened by the explosion at the Al Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza, and the terrible loss of life that resulted. Immediately upon hearing this news, I spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and have directed my national security team to continue gathering information about what exactly happened."

He concluded: "The United States stands unequivocally for the protection of civilian life during conflict and we mourn the patients, medical staff and other innocents killed or wounded in this tragedy."

Israeli officials attributed the deadly explosion to a failed rocket launch by Palestinian terrorist group Islamic Jihad and quickly denounced accusations that they targeted a hospital, which was suggested by terrorist group Hamas.

"From the analysis of the operational systems of the IDF, an enemy rocket barrage was carried out towards Israel, which passed through the vicinity of the hospital when it was hit," an IDF spokesperson said. "According to intelligence information, from several sources we have, the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization is responsible for the failed shooting that hit the hospital."

Five days after the Israel Defense Forces issued an urgent evacuation warning to millions of civilians in northern Gaza ahead of a possible ground incursion, Israel-based Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) reiterated the message Wednesday morning.

Col. Elad Goren, head of the civil department at COGAT, said in a video on X, formerly Twitter, that the evacuation measure is to protect the innocent, whom he encouraged to move to the south of the Wadi Gaza in the open areas of western Khan Younis.

"Hamas is trying to prevent the population from evacuating northern Gaza. Hamas continues to bring destruction upon Gaza and to endanger its residents," Goren said. "We repeat our recommendation: anyone located in the northern part of Gaza Strip should move to the south."

COGAT said international humanitarian aid will be provided in Al-Mawasi as needed.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott applauded the cancellation of a pro-Palestinian conference at a Hilton hotel in Houston at the end of the month after the major chain cited "potential risks" as the Israel-Hamas war rages on.

The Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria will no longer host the Seize the Moment national conference for the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) from Oct. 27 to Oct. 29 – to Gov. Abbott's support.

The USCPR said the event was its first in five years to show "solidarity with the Palestinian people resisting 75+ years of ethnic cleansing" and to "mobilize for liberation."

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, journalist and academic Marc Lamont Hill and senior staff attorney Daila Shamas were scheduled to be keynote speakers.

POLITICS

Hilton Hotel in Texas cancels pro-Palestinian conference over 'potential risks'

Amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, Hilton Hotels has decided to cancel hosting a pro-Palestinian convention at one of their hotels in Houston, Texas.

Abbott wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Hilton was right to cancel the event given the escalating conflict in the Middle East following Hamas' terrorist attacks on Israel, which prompted retaliatory strikes from the Jewish state.

"Hilton Hotels in Houston was correct to pull the plug on the U.S. Campaign for Palestine Rights event hosted by Hamas supporters," Abbott wrote. "Texas has no room for hate & antisemitism like that supported by Hamas. No location in Texas should host or sponsor USCPR."

Hilton did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the cancellation, but told Houston outlets the following:

"Given escalating security concerns in the current environment, the hotel has determined that it cannot serve as the venue for this event because of the potential risks to our Team Members and guests," the hotel said in a statement to the local outlet. "Our priority is and will remain the safety and security of everyone we welcome at our hotel."

Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

Protesters in Lebanon descended on the U.S. and French embassies in Beirut voicing anger over a rocket that hit a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, reportedly killing hundreds of people.

Around 1,000 protesters gathered and carried Palestinian flags, Reuters reported. Tear gas was fired near the building. 

The demonstration was mainly driven by a statement from Hezbollah, a political party and Iran-backed terrorist group based in Lebanon, which told people around the Arab world to protest in front of Israeli embassies, a source told Fox News Digital.

Since Israel doesn’t maintain an embassy in Lebanon, protesters gathered in front of the U.S. and French embassies, as they believe the Biden administration and French President Emmanuel Macron are in part responsible for the airstrikes in Gaza by providing Israel with military aid.

Pro-Palestinian supporters mixed with supporters of Hezbollah in marches and both embassies were attacked by rioters, the source said.

No injuries have yet been reported.

The protest came hours after the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza was hit by a rocket, prompting both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict to blame each other. The Hamas health Ministry said at least 500 people died, resulting in anger in the region. 

Hamas claims the Israeli military targeted the hospital, but the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) determined the Islamic Jihad terrorist group is responsible.

“An analysis of IDF operational systems indicates that a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing in close proximity to theAl-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza at the time it was hit,” an IDF statement said. “Intelligence from multiple sources we have in our hands indicates that Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch which hit the hospital in Gaza.“ 

The Islamic Jihad is a smaller, more radical Palestinian militant group that often cooperates with Hamas.

The Israel Foreign Ministry said the Palestinians were "falsely claiming Israel targeted a hospital in the Gaza Strip."

"The thing is, they’re the ones who have a habit of launching missiles at hospitals packed with innocent civilians," the ministry posted on social media.

Jordan has canceled a meeting slated for Wednesday with President Biden and other regional leaders in protest over an airstrike that hit a hospital in Gaza and reportedly killed hundreds of people. 

Earlier Tuesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas canceled his participation in a meeting with Biden, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egypt’s president set for Wednesday in Amman, Jordan to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas. 

Later, Jordan’s foreign minister told state-run television that his country had canceled the summit, saying that the war between Israel and Hamas was “pushing the region to the brink.” He said the meeting would be postponed. 

Hamas has blamed Israeli military for the Tuesday airstrike on the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital. The Hamas Health Ministry said at least 500 people were killed. 

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it investigated the incident and determined it to be a failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad, a smaller, more radical Palestinian militant group that often cooperates with Hamas.

 Like Hamas, Islamic Jihad is funded and supported by Iran.

The rocket was fired from Gaza and was in close proximity to the hospital at the time it was hit, the IDF said. Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday to speak with Israeli leaders in a show of support.

He was slated to meet with Middle Eastern leaders on the same day as the war continues to escalate daily.  

Biden departed Washington Tuesday afternoon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Michigan, accused Israel of targeting a Christian hospital in Gaza that Hamas said killed at least 500 people on Tuesday minutes before the Israel Defense Forces said the airstrike was the result a Palestinian terror group. 

"Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that," Tlaib tweeted. "Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that.” 

"We will remember where you stood," she added.

Not long after, the IDF said the hospital was not targeted or hit by an Israeli missile.

"From the analysis of the operational systems of the IDF, an enemy rocket barrage was carried out towards Israel, which passed through the vicinity of the hospital when it was hit," an IDF spokesperson said.

"According to intelligence information, from several sources we have, the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization is responsible for the failed shooting that hit the hospital," the spokesperson continued.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also commented on the hospital bombing.

"The barbarian terrorists in Gaza are the ones who attacked the hospital in Gaza, not the IDF. He who brutally murdered our children, also murders his children," Netanyahu wrote in a post on X.    

An airstrike on a hospital in Gaza that Hamas says killed at least 500 people came from the Islamic Jihad terrorist group during a failed launch, Israel said. 

“An analysis of IDF operational systems indicates that a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing in close proximity to the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza at the time it was hit,” the Israel Defense Forces said. “Intelligence from multiple sources we have in our hands indicates that Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch which hit the hospital in Gaza.“

Earlier, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said at least 500 people were killed at the hospital. The deaths were the result of an Israeli airstrike, it said.  

However, Israel said it was investigating the source of the explosion and said a hospital is not a target for its military forces.

"A hospital is a highly sensitive building and is not an IDF target,” the IDF said earlier.

An additional review and cross-examination of the operational and intelligence systems by the IDF concluded that Israel's military didn't fire the rocket, the IDF said.

The Islamic Jihad was responsible for the failed rocket launch, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Tuesday.  

The Israeli Foreign Ministry posted a clip on X, formally known as Twitter, of Qatar-based Al Jazeera purportedly showing the Islamic Jihad launch a rocket that misfired and hit the hospital.

"The Palestinians are falsely claiming Israel targeted a hospital in the Gaza Strip," the ministry said. "The thing is, they’re the ones who have a habit of launching missiles at hospitals packed with innocent civilians."

Israeli Prime Minister pushed back on accusations by Hamas and Palestinian supporters that the IDF targeted the hospital full of wounded people and others seeking shelter.

"The whole world knew: The barbarian terrorists in Gaza are the ones who attacked the hospital in Gaza, not the IDF," he wrote on X, formally Twitter. "He who brutally murdered our children, also murders his children."

Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, said the terrorists in Gaza “are not only responsible for murdering Israeli children - they also murder Palestinian children!” 

“You’ve seen Hamas and PIJ beheading children. Stop believing these ISIS-like terrorists,” he wrote on social media. “The only ones shooting indiscriminate missiles at civilians are the Palestinians, who have been doing it for years!” 

An image that accompanied the post said terror groups in Gaza purposefully place launching pits and posts within civilian areas and in the line of fire, which makes them vulnerable to misfires. 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has canceled his participation in a meeting scheduled for Wednesday with President Biden and other Mideast leaders, a senior Palestinian official said.  

Abbas was scheduled to join Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi at Wednesday’s summit in Amman, Jordan, where they are to discuss the latest Israel-Hamas war with Biden. 

The senior officials said Abbas was withdrawing his presence to protest an alleged Israeli airstrike on a hospital in Gaza that Hamas health officials say killed over 500 people on Tuesday.  

Israel said it is investigating the source of the explosion.

Biden is scheduled to visit Israel Wednesday in a show of support as Israeli forces continue to bombard the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Biden will visit Jordan after the meeting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Israelis in Turkey have been warned to depart the country immediately after Israel’s National Security Council raised the travel warning to the country to its highest level.

The body also raised the travel alert for Morocco to level two, meaning Israelis in that country should stay vigilant, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The warnings come after two Israeli tourists were killed in Egypt last week when a policeman opened fire on them in Alexandria. 

A Hamas-run hospital packed with wounded and other Palestinians seeking shelter in the Gaza Strip was hit by an airstrike Tuesday that killed hundreds of people, the terror group said. 

The Health Ministry said at least 500 people were killed at the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. Hamas said the deaths were the result of an Israeli airstrike.

However, Israel said it was investigating the source of the explosion. 

"A hospital is a highly sensitive building and is not an IDF target,” the Israeli Defense Forces said. “The IDF is investigating the source of the explosion and, like always, is prioritizing accuracy and reliability. We urge everyone to proceed  with caution when reporting on the unverified claims of a terrorist organization."   

Other reports said a rocket misfired, causing the explosion.

Hamas was targeting Tel Aviv with rocket fire Tuesday. The group has been targeting central Israel multiple times each day

President Biden has provide Iran with $50 billion in funds due to months-long sanctions relief that has only emboldened Tehran, according to an op-ed by U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, and Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former National Security Council official. 

Congress should now demand all of the funds, in addition to the $6 billion hostage ransom payment made to Iran last month. 

Read more here.

French President Emmanuel Macron is requesting a review of all foreign immigrants with ties to radical extremists for possible deportation after the murder of a French teacher by an Islamic terrorist.  

France raised its anti-terrorism alert level to one of its highest levels three days after a teacher was killed by a Chechen immigrant on France's extremist watchlist with a knife shouting "Allahu Akbar!," according to a report in Euronews.  

Macron ordered his administration to conduct a review to determine whether foreigners with a record of radicalism can be expelled from the country, according to reports. Local authorities have 48 hours to examine the files of "radicalized people drawn up by the secret services.” 

Last week, Macron said police thwarted a second attempted attack after the stabbing of the teacher, saying it shows "the barbarism of Islamic terrorism."

Fox News' Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.

Israeli forces struck infrastructure targets across the border in Lebanon on Tuesday as Hezbollah terrorists continue to threaten to join the war on the side of Hamas.

Hezbollah has fired rockets and anti-tank missiles at Israeli targets throughout the week, and Israel responded in kind on Tuesday. Four people in Lebanon were reportedly killed in the Israeli counterattack.

The exchange of fire comes as both Iran and Hezbollah threaten to join Hamas in the war against Israel. The U.S. and Israel's other Western allies have warned both parties to stay out of the conflict.

The U.S. has deployed two air craft carrier strike groups to the Eastern Mediterranean, sending a message that the U.S. could become fully involved in the conflict should it escalate.

Israel's top national security adviser predicted that the U.S. would get involved in Israel's war on Hamas if the conflict escalated to include other regional powers like Hezbollah or Iran.

The official, Tzachi Hanegbi, cited the U.S. movement of two air craft carrier strike groups into the Eastern Mediterranean as a key indicator. Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has emphasized that there are no U.S. boots on the ground and no plans to deploy them.

"[Biden] is making clear to our enemies that if they even imagine taking part in the offensive against the citizens of Israel, there will be American involvement here," Hanegbi said.

President Biden has nevertheless warned Hezbollah and Iran to stay out of the conflict, but he has not made specific threats of what the U.S. will do if they do join the war.

Austin placed approximately 2,000 personnel and a range of units on a heightened state of readiness through a prepare to deploy order on Tuesday. The move increases the DOD's ability to respond quickly to fast-moving events in and around Israel.

There is "no question" that the Israeli hostage seen in a recently-released Hamas video was speaking "under duress," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says.

Kirby made the remark on NBC’s "Today" show after the Palestinian terrorist group shared footage Monday of Mia Schem, a 21-year-old French-Israeli, who, according to Reuters, asked to be returned to her family as soon as possible. French President Emmanuel Macron has called for Schem’s immediate release.

"There is no question in my mind that that woman gave that video testimony under duress, probably forced to do it," Kirby said. "It’s a propaganda video much more than it is proof of life or certainly proof of concept for Hamas. It’s despicable, deplorable that they would take these hostages and then advertise how well they are treating them when they are the ones who hurt them in the first place."

Kirby reiterated a call for Hamas to immediately release all of its hostages, estimated to include 199 Israelis and other foreign nationals.

Fox News Greg Norman contributed to this report.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken exchanged a warm greeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday.

The pair met in Amman, Jordan on Tuesday to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Blinken remained silent when reporters asked whether he was hopeful that aid would begin flowing in the near future, however.

While the U.S. has fully endorsed Israel's right to defend itself and to retaliate against Hamas terrorists, President Biden's administration has distinguished between Hamas and the Palestinian people.

Blinken smiled and shook Abbas' hand as they joked that the U.S. official should buy a house in Amman given how much time he had been spending in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared Hamas to Nazis and ISIS during a news conference on Tuesday, calling Hamas terrorists, which govern Gaza, the "new Nazis."

On Oct. 7, Hamas led a force over the Israel-Gaza border, slaughtering 1,400 Israeli men, women, children and elderly in what was the deadliest terror attack in Israel's history. "I hope many around the world see ISIS for what it is and see Hamas for what it is, a reincarnation of ISIS," the prime minister said. 

Standing alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Netanyahu said Hamas was guilty of committing a "double war crime."

"Not only is it targeting and murdering civilians with unprecedented savagery, it is hiding behind civilians — their own civilians," he said. "We are calling on the civilians to leave Gaza, to go south, to safe zone, but Hamas is preventing them, often at gunpoint, from doing so. Hamas wants to keep them there as a human shield and prevent people from leaving and getting out of harm's way."

Netanyahu also said Hamas was a member of a new "axis of evil" alongside Iran, its chief financial sponsor, and Hezbollah, a Lebanese terror group that has launch several anti-tank missiles onto northern Israel in recent days.

"If it’s not stopped here, this savagery will reach you very soon, it will reach the entire world," he said. And, just like the world united to defeat the Nazis during World War II, “The world has to stand united with Israel to defeat Hamas.”

A Royal Caribbean cruise ship carrying 160 Americans and other foreign nationals out of Israel arrived at the Mediterranean island of Cyprus on Tuesday, according to a report. 

The Rhapsody of the Seas departed Monday from the northern Israeli port city of Haifa and docked Tuesday morning at the island’s main port of Limassol, The Associated Press reported. The arriving passengers were met by U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus Julie Fisher.

A spokesperson for the company told FOX Business on Monday that it is "actively supporting the U.S. Department of State in the assisted departure of American citizens." 

"Please go to Ben Gurion International Airport, Terminal 3 if you wish to depart Israel," reads a message on the State Department’s website. "U.S. Embassy personnel will be present to direct you and provide specific flight information. Be prepared to wait." 

Naama Kopelman, whom the Associated Press reported has relatives still in Israel, possibly taken hostage by Hamas, described leaving Israel as a "big relief."

"It’s a big relief to be out of there in a safe place. No alarms, no sounds of the planes going about all the time," Kopelman said. 

Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this report.

The grandson of retired Israeli journalist Oded Lifshitz, who was taken by Hamas terrorists, called for information about his missing loved ones, but said his grandfather would be more concerned about the innocent Israeli children being held hostage in Gaza. 

"The top priority must be those hostages," Daniel Lifshitz told Fox News Digital. "When you have people missing it’s like a roller coaster that you can’t leave." 

Daniel Lifshitz feels Hamas "crossed the biggest red lines" imaginable when they invaded Israel on Oct. 7, killing at least 1,400 men, women, children and older civilians in a surprise terror attack. Israel has since declared war on the terror group, and many feel a delay in a planned ground invasion of Gaza is likely related to its sophisticated hostage rescue operations.

Oded Lifshitz, 83, and his wife Yocheved, 85, have been missing since Hamas terrorists raided their home on a day that will haunt Israelis for generations. 

"We had the first alarm, for the bombings, and then everybody went into the secure room. And then we knew that the terrorists, the Hamas terrorists entered the kibbutz. And since then, we didn't get any message… we didn't have any contact with them since then," Daniel Lifshitz said. 

Since the horrific attacks, Daniel Lifshitz learned that his grandparents’ cellphone was somewhere in Gaza.

More than a week later, he has no other information on his grandparents.

Fox News' Brian Flood and Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., called for the U.S. to "immediately halt" any aid to Palestinians in Gaza, arguing the aid will inevitably fall into the hands of Hamas, the terrorist group that governs the territory.

Blackburn made the call on Tuesday as President Biden prepares to travel to Israel for the first time since Hamas-led fighters carried out a stunned the world with terror attack on Oct. 7. News of Biden's trip arrived only after Israel agreed to develop a humanitarian aid plan for Gaza.

"The USA should not be placing conditions on our support for Israel because of demands from the squad," Blackburn wrote in a tweet.

"Humanitarian aid repeatedly ends up in the hands of Hamas terrorists who use it to build rockets & kill more Israelis," the Republican added.

And: "We should immediately halt U.S. aid for the Palestinians."

Biden's administration has publicly offered its full support for Israel's right to defend itself and retaliate against Hamas. Nevertheless, Biden has said it would be a "mistake" for Israel to occupy Gaza, and the U.S. has repeatedly stated that the conflict must minimize suffering in Gaza.

Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for the immediate release of Mia Schem, a 21-year-old French-Israeli, who was taken hostage by Hamas.

Hamas terrorists launched an unprecedented invasion into Israel on Oct. 7, slaughtering more than 1,400 Israelis, including at least 260 attendees of the Tribe of Nova Trance music festival. They also took at least 199 hostages back into Gaza. 

Schem attended the festival and was among those taken captive. Her parents only learned she was alive after she appeared in a video Hamas released on Monday. 

Macron’s office denounced the “ignominy of taking innocent people hostage and their odious staging” in the video, the WSJ reported. 

In a post on X, Macron said: “France is working to quickly end this period of violence and tensions, for the benefit of Israel, the Palestinians, the Middle East and the world.”

“I continue to speak with actors in the region. Today with Prime Minister Netanyahu and then with President Sisi,” he added.

France’s foreign minister said the office has been in communication with the families of hostages, including Schem’s.

Mia’s mother Keren Sharf Schem said she was living her “worst nightmare” after learning her daughter was taken hostage by Hamas.

“I didnt know if she was dead or alive,” she told FOX News' Mike Tobin. “I knew nothing until yesterday when I saw this video.”

During a press conference Tuesday, Schem called for her daughter’s safe return.

"I'm begging the world to bring my baby back home, she only went to a party, to a festival party to have some fun and now she's in Gaza," she said.

Nearly every U.S. Senator joined together to back a resolution supporting Israel amid its ongoing war with Hamas, the terrorist organization that governs Gaza.

Sen. Jim Risch, an Idaho Republican who serves as the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, co-led the bipartisan resolution with Senate leadership and Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Maryland.

“I am pleased to have worked with Leaders McConnell and Schumer, and Chairman Ben Cardin, on the resolution in support of Israel that was introduced yesterday in the U.S. Senate with the support of 99 senators,” said Ranking Member Risch. “The United States will continue to unequivocally support the people of Israel as they defend themselves from the senseless acts of terrorism over the last week and a half."

He continued: "My prayers are with the Israelis, Americans, and others who have been killed or injured. This bipartisan resolution reaffirms Congress’ unwavering support for Israel and signals our intention to speed up additional assistance as quickly as possible."

And, "I will also continue to put pressure on the administration to cut off Iranian resources that fuel these attacks. We must do all we can to support our partner until the job is done.”

The resolution says that Hamas, which receives support from Iran, was responsible for the "unprecedented attack" it launched on Israel by air, land, and sea on Oct. 7, 2023.

"The Senate stands with Israel as it defends itself, including Israeli efforts to diminish the threat posed by Hamas," the resolution reads.

It also "calls on all countries to unequivocally condemn Hamas’ war on Israel, including Hamas’ intentional targeting of, and attacks against, civilians."

The border between Lebanon and Israel, where Israeli forces and armed groups in Lebanon have engaged in a series of low-level skirmishes since the start of the war in Gaza, erupted again Tuesday after missiles flew from the Lebanese side of the border onto Israel.

An anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon landed in the town of Metula in northern Israel on Tuesday, injuring three people, according to the Ziv Medical Center in Safed. Two more anti-tank missiles were fired from Lebanon at the Yiftah kibbutz in northern Israel without any casualties, the Israeli army said.

Israeli officials did not say if the injured were soldiers or civilians.

Hours later, the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the missiles.

The Israeli military said its tanks fired back into Lebanon after an anti-tank missile was launched across the border. Israel has ordered a full evacuation of areas near the border with Lebanon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has put 2,000 personnel on a "prepare to deploy order" to increase the U.S. military readiness to response to the Middle East as the war between Israel and Hamas terrorists continues to escalate.

"Today, Secretary Austin placed approximately 2,000 personnel and a range of units on a heightened state of readiness through a prepare to deploy order, which increases DoD's ability to respond quickly to the evolving security environment in the Middle East," according to Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh on Force Posture. "No decisions have been made to deploy any forces at this time. The Secretary will continue to assess our force posture and remain in close contact with allies and partners."

The statement added: "Additionally, he approved a deployment extension for the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/Sixth Fleet Area of Operations. The strike group was nearing the end of its six-month deployment to the U.S. European Command area of responsibility."

Israel continues to prepare for a ground invasion of Gaza, to eliminate the Hamas terrorist organization. An invasion is expected to take weeks, months or longer and surrounding countries have all weighed in on what further escalation could mean.

President Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday as he tries to send a message of his administration's commitment to the Jewish state amid its war with Hamas. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the visit Monday night, saying the visit will happen "at a critical moment for Israel, for the region, and for the world."

"The president will reaffirm the United States solidarity with Israel and our ironclad commitment to its security," a White House official said. 

Blinken also added that Biden will speak to Israeli leaders about how to minimize civilian casualties in the densely populated Gaza Strip, which has been bombarded with Israeli airstrikes. 

"The president will hear from Israel how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas," he explained.

Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Jordan's King Abdullah said during a news conference in Germany that neither Jordan nor Egypt would accept Palestinian refugees from Gaza, where more than 1 million people have been displaced by the war between Israel and Hamas terrorists.

"No refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt," King Abdullah said in Berlin Tuesday, pushing back against pressure from the international community to accept the Palestinian refugees, according to Reuters.

He added: "That is a red line, because I think that is the plan by certain of the usual suspects to try and create de facto issues on the ground."

King Abdullah also said the humanitarian situation must to be dealt with inside the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The comments came following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

A clear objective of Israel’s war in Gaza right now is hunting down and assassinating Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Referred to by Israel as the Butcher of Khan Younis for his violent and cruel torture methods against his enemies, both Israeli and Palestinian, Sinwar, 60, is widely seen as being behind the massacre of Israeli civilians carried out by thousands of Hamas militants on Oct. 7.

The attack, in which 1,400 people are now known to have been killed, with a further 200 missing and likely being held hostage inside the Gaza Strip, is the worst against Jews since the Holocaust. Civilian men, women and children were not only murdered but, according to multiple eyewitness reports also brutalized, raped and even decapitated.

"That man is in our sights," Israeli Defense Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht told journalists over the weekend. "Sinwar is the leader of Hamas in Gaza and he’s a dead man walking." 

"We will get to him, however long it takes… and this war could be long," he said.

Sinwar is believed to be somewhere in the Palestinian enclave but hidden deep underground in the warren of tunnels Hamas uses to transport weapons and fighters and where they may even be keeping the hostages. He was born in the Khan Younis refugee camp when the area was part of Egypt.

Hamas is reportedly claiming that it will "protect" its hostages taken during the war with Israel and will only release them "when circumstances on the ground allow." 

Hamas has "a group of detainees of different nationalities, these are our guests and we seek to protect them," according to Abu Obeida, whom Reuters says is the spokesman of the Palestinian terrorist group’s armed wing.

"We will release detainees of different nationalities when circumstances on the ground allow," he added, without elaborating. 

The comments surfaced Monday in a video message from Israel says Hamas is holding 199 Israelis hostage, while 13 Americans remain unaccounted for. 

Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this report.

Hamas terrorists from within Gaza are still firing rockets into central Israel as of Tuesday morning, posing a continued threat to Israeli civilians.

"Their ability to target major cities remains. 6,500 rockets have been fired into Israel since last Saturday," reported Fox News' Trey Yingst, who is in Israel.

The rockets come 11 days after the war began last Saturday, after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli soil, killing hundreds of soldiers and civilians on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.

The attack on Oct. 7 was the deadliest in Israel's history as a country.

The Hamas war against Israel is slated to be given a potent shot in the arm if the U.S. and its European allies allow U.N. sanctions to be lifted on Iran’s capability to purchase and supply missiles to enemies of the U.S. and Israel, according to experts on Tehran.

This coming Wednesday is the so-called "Transition Day" when the expiration of the U.N.’s embargo against Iran’s ability to procure and sell missiles and drones goes into effect.

Richard Goldberg, who served on the National Security Council during the Trump administration as the director for Countering Iranian Weapons of Mass Destruction, told Fox News Digital, "The president gives a speech saying he is heartbroken about the images of the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and opposes Hamas, and a week later, he hands a gift to Hamas’ sponsor, Iran. My heart breaks to see the president lift this embargo."

Goldberg said the removal of U.N. sanctions on Iran’s missile program "will be a huge victory for Tehran that is simply serving as a reward for terrorism and proliferation around world."

Fox News' Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.

A progressive consultant who acts as the top fundraiser for Rep. Rashida Tlaib has consistently projected anti-Israel viewpoints on social media platforms and recently said she believes they intend to ethnically cleanse Palestinians, Fox News Digital has found.

The Michigan Democrat's committee has paid $42,000 to Unbought Power for "fundraising consulting" this year, with the most recent payment of $7,000 coming in August, her new filings show. Unbought Power is a Florida-based consulting and advocacy firm owned and managed by Rasha Mubarak, a Palestinian-American Muslim activist. Mubarak also acts as treasurer of Tlaib's leadership PAC, Rooted in Community Leadership, which has also paid her company over the past two years.

Like Tlaib, Mubarak has regularly made comments critical of Israel. Weeks before Hamas' terrorist attack on innocent civilians, Mubarak accused Israel of "ongoing ethnic cleansing."

"The layers of grief that Palestinians experience can be difficult to contextualize – especially – when a large part is how normalizing the ongoing ethnic cleansing has grossly transcended," Mubarak wrote on X in September. "Forfeiting red lines generates the false idea that this is the fate of the Palestinian [people]."

Following Hamas' attack this month, Mubarak amplified several pro-Palestinian messages on her social media account, particularly of rallies across the United States.

One of the messages Mubarak reposted after the Oct. 7 attack called for halting money to Israel and ending the "siege in Gaza."

Fox News' Joe Schoffstall contributed to this report.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to deport foreign nationals, including people in the U.S. on student visas, who have expressed support for Hamas' terrorist attacks on Israel.

In a letter sent to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday, Cotton demanded the department take immediate action to remove the foreign nationals, who the GOP lawmaker says have "no place" in the U.S.

"I write to urge you to immediately deport any foreign national—including and especially any alien on a student visa—that has expressed support for Hamas and its murderous attacks on Israel. These fifth-columnists have no place in the United States," Cotton wrote.

"Federal law is clear that any alien who 'endorses or espouses terrorist activity or persuades others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization' is inadmissible and must be deported," he continued. "Swiftly removing and permanently barring from future reentry any foreign student who signed onto or shared approvingly the anti-Semitic letter from the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee on October 7 would be a good place to start."

Shortly after the attack on Oct. 7, Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups released a statement signed by about 30 student organizations that read, "We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence."

The statement was later deleted after student organizations began removing their signatures amid bipartisan backlash and some CEOs demanding the names of the students who signed it.