INTERNACIONAL
Palestinian Authority under pressure amid rising resistance, popularity of Iran-backed terror groups
The Palestinian Authority (PA) is facing a growing challenge in the northern West Bank city of Jenin as it launches an ongoing operation against local terror factions supported by Iran, a crackdown that has sparked violent clashes and highlighted the deepening rift between the PA and local communities.
«Iran has been funding militants to buy weapons, and now the Palestinian Authority is acting to stop that. They’ve taken measures to block the money and crack down on the factions. The PA knows Iran will keep supporting Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and this is the challenge they face. It’s the right time to confront Iran, especially after the wars in Gaza and Lebanon- public mood is not welcoming any military confrontation with Israel after what happened,» Mohammad Daraghmeh, Asharq News bureau chief in Ramallah, told Fox News Digital.
The U.S. has reportedly requested Israel’s approval to deliver urgent military assistance to the PA as it intensifies its crackdown on terror organizations in Jenin, Axios reported. The Biden administration is seeking to provide the PA security forces with ammunition, helmets, bulletproof vests, armored cars and other essential items, but needs Israel’s consent to proceed. Historically, U.S. assistance to the PA has ranged between $200 million and $300 million annually. In recent years, especially after the Biden administration took office, there has been a resumption of aid to the PA, following a freeze during the Trump administration.
HAMAS ATTACKER OPENS FIRE AT ISRAELI BUS IN WEST BANK, INJURING AT LEAST 8: REPORT
Mourners shout during the funeral of 19-year-old Rahbi Shalabi, who was killed during clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants a day earlier, in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on Dec. 10, 2024. (ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)
«Since October 7th, there has been an increased push from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, with significant Iranian involvement,» said Dr. Michael Milshtein, head of the Forum for Palestinian Studies at Tel Aviv University who further emphasized the shift in the situation since Oct. 7, noting the influence of Iranian-backed forces. «They’re trying to push operations in the West Bank, and there have been attempts to manufacture rockets and fire them at Israeli cities from Jenin. While it’s still in the early stages and these efforts are unsuccessful, it’s a troubling development that signals how Jenin is evolving into a central hub for terrorists.»
Last weekend, PA security forces killed Yazid Jaysa, an Islamic Jihad commander, in an operation that has intensified tensions in the region. This was the third death in Jenin within a week, following the killing of 19-year-old Rahbi Shalabi during gunfights between PA forces and local militants. The deaths have further fueled the discontent in the city, particularly among residents of the Jenin refugee camp. «The entire refugee camp is now against the PA,» said Daraghmeh.
On Sunday, reports surfaced that the PA had positioned its forces outside the refugee camp, but attempts to enter were met with resistance. The terrorists inside the camp, many of whom have vowed to fight the PA’s forces, pose a significant challenge to the PA’s plans for reasserting control.
PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT ABBAS SAYS US IS THE ‘ONLY POWER’ CAPABLE OF ORDERING ISRAEL TO END THE WAR
Palestinian Authority security forces vehicles block a road amid clashes with militants in the Jenin camp in the Israel-occupied West Bank on Dec. 15, 2024. For more than a week, the northern West Bank city of Jenin has seen intense violence, after the PA, which coordinates security matters with Israel, arrested several militants. (ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)
«There’s no active fighting right now, but the PA forces are stuck. They’ve tried to enter, but failed, and now they’re stuck outside,» said Daraghmeh. «They can’t leave, but they can’t continue the operation either, because there are dozens of militants ready to confront them.»
Milshtein, the former head of Palestinian affairs in Israeli Defense Forces military intelligence, told Fox News Digital, «The PA does not have the ability to enforce control in northern Samaria and the surrounding areas. The PA has lost control of these regions, and for years, Israel has treated Jenin and the surrounding areas like Gaza- without PA control mechanisms, and essentially, there’s a real vacuum.»
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, and President Biden shake hands in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Friday, July 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The timing of the PA’s operation is significant, with many observers noting that it coincides with the broader regional context, including the ongoing war in Gaza and the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Milshtein believes that the events in Syria played a role in the PA’s decision to act. «People in the West Bank say that when one dictator (PA President Mahmoud Abbas) saw what happened to the other (Bashar al-Assad), he decided he would not follow the same fate,» Milshtein explained. «Mahmoud Abbas likely felt that he needed to act before the PA’s authority in the West Bank completely erodes.»
The operation, which is part of a larger crackdown in the northern West Bank, also reflects the PA’s desire to assert itself as a capable authority ahead of potential political developments in Gaza. The PA has long struggled with its ability to govern Gaza, which it lost to Hamas in 2007. Now, with the region in turmoil, it is hoping to prove that it can restore order in the West Bank, which it argues will bolster its legitimacy in any postwar political scenario for Gaza.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
A Palestinian security man fires tear gas at protesters in the center of the West Bank city of Jenin and its camp on Dec. 16, 2024. (Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
«I don’t see a possibility that the PA will control Gaza,» Milshtein said, «There are two million people there. For 17 years, they have been ruled by Hamas, and 60% were born after Hamas took control. They were educated to view the PA as collaborators with Israel and enemies. Giving the PA two hours in Gaza is a known failure from the outset.»
Despite the violence in Jenin, Daraghmeh does not foresee the conflict spreading beyond. «People in Ramallah, Hebron and other cities don’t want the West Bank to turn into another Gaza,» Daraghmeh said. «The situation in Jenin is contained, but it remains a test for the PA’s ability to control its own territory.»
INTERNACIONAL
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte arrested at airport on ICC warrant for crime against humanity
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday following an order from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating a crime against humanity case filed against the former leader.
Duterte, 79, was taken into custody at the airport in the Philippines following his trip to Hong Kong, The Associated Press reports.
The ICC has been investigating «massive killings that happened under the former president’s deadly crackdown against illegal drugs,» The AP said via President Ferdinand Marcos’ office.
EX-PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT DUTERTE SHRUGS OFF POSSIBLE ARREST BY ICC FOR DRUG WAR DURING TRIP TO HONG KONG
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport following an order from the International Criminal Court (ICC). (AP)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
INTERNACIONAL
Pope Francis now ‘out of danger from death’ as health condition continues to improve
Pope Francis is «out of danger from death» as of Monday evening, marking a significant improvement after weeks of hospitalization involving the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
In a statement obtained by Fox News, the Vatican said that the «clinical conditions of the Holy Father continue to be stable.»
«The improvements recorded in the previous days have been further consolidated, as confirmed by both blood tests and clinical objectivity and good response to drug therapy,» the release read.
The Vatican also said that Pope Francis, 88, «is out of danger from death from the infections that he arrived at the hospital with.»
POPE FRANCIS SUFFERING FROM ‘MILD RENAL INSUFFICIENCY,’ THOUGH CONDITION REMAINS ‘UNDER CONTROL,’ VATICAN SAYS
Pope Francis waves from his popemobile after the weekly Angelus prayers, at the Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican on October 20, 2024. (Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty)
The pope was first admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 after fighting a week-long bout of bronchitis that gradually worsened. There, he was first diagnosed with a complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection.
Doctors then detected the onset of pneumonia in both of Pope Francis’s lungs – a significant health threat to the octogenarian, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger.
POPE FRANCIS’ MEDICAL CONDITION: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT BILATERAL PNEUMONIA
Pope Francis takes part in an interreligious meeting with young people at the Catholic Junior College in Singapore on September 13, 2024. (Tiziana Fabi/Pool/AFP/Getty)
As of Monday, Pope Francis will continue to recover in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital «for further days,» Holy See officials said, citing the «complexity of the clinical picture and the important infectious picture presented at hospitalization.»
Pope Francis had solid food introduced into his diet on Sunday after days of gradual improvement. On Monday, he «alternated prayer with rest» and worshipped throughout the day.
Pope Francis waves during an audience with Hungarian pilgrims in Paul VI hall at the Vatican on April 25, 2024. (Fillipo Monteforte/AFP via Getty)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
«This morning the Holy Father was able to follow the Spiritual Exercises in connection with the Paul VI Room, then received the Eucharist and went to the Chapel of the private apartment for a moment of prayer,» the Holy See said on Monday. «In the afternoon he joined the Spiritual Exercises of the Curia again.»
INTERNACIONAL
Rubio says mineral deal ‘not main topic on agenda’ in Ukraine meeting
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday that the mineral deal, sought by President Donald Trump, is «not the main topic on the agenda» for the meeting set with the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
«I wouldn’t prejudge tomorrow about whether or not we have a minerals deal,» he told reporters on board a flight to Saudi Arabia. «It’s an important topic, but it’s not the main topic on the agenda.
«The minerals deal is on the table that’s continuing to be worked on – it’s not part of this conversation, per se,» he said, noting that Tuesday’s meeting in Jeddah can be considered successful even without securing such an agreement.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with the media on his military airplane as he flies to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, March 10, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
LITHUANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: ONLY WAY TO NEGOTIATE WITH RUSSIA IS WITH A ‘GUN ON THE TABLE’
«It’s certainly a deal the president wants to see done, but it doesn’t necessarily have to happen tomorrow,» Rubio added.
The Ukrainian delegation is set to include Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office, Andrii Sybiha, minister of foreign affairs, Pavlo Palisa, colonel of armed forces of Ukraine and an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who was not only involved in initial talks with Russia following its February 2022 invasion, but who also survived a poisoning attack after a peace meeting in March that year.
Rubio will meet with the delegation in the city of Jeddah around noon local time on Tuesday.
«The important point in this meeting is to establish clearly their intentions, their desire, as they’ve said publicly now, numerous times, to reach a point where peace is possible,» Rubio said, adding that he will need to be assured that Kyiv is prepared to make some hard decisions, like giving up territory seized by Russia, in order to end the three-year war.
Ukraine’s National Police said seven people are dead and five wounded in a mortar strike east of Kyiv, in Makariv. (National Police of Ukraine)
«Both sides need to come to an understanding,» he said. «The Russians can’t conquer all of Ukraine, and obviously it will be very difficult for Ukraine, in any reasonable time period, to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014. So the only solution to this war is diplomacy and getting them to a table where that’s possible.
«Then we’ll have to determine how far they are from the Russian position, which we don’t know yet either. And then once you understand where both sides truly are, it gives you a sense of how big the divide is and how hard it’s going to be,» Rubio explained. «I’m hoping it’ll be a positive interaction along those lines.»
Secretary of State Marco Rubio greets well-wishers upon arrival at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on March 10, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
EU CHIEF DIPLOMAT WARNS TRUMP PUTIN ‘DOESN’T WANT PEACE’
Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East who has increasingly been involved with the talks regarding Ukraine and Russia, told Fox News’ Dana Perino on «America’s Newsroom» Monday morning, that the Trump administration has «gone a long way» to «narrow the differences» when dealing with Moscow and to get it to the negotiating table – though he did not go into detail.
Witkoff suggested relations with Ukraine began to once again improve after Zelenskyy sent Trump a letter in which he apologized for the Oval Office exchange that went sour late last month after he refused to sign a mineral deal and angered the Trump administration – resulting in a series of explosive outbursts on live TV.
While a mineral deal is unlikely to be achieved this week, according to Rubio, he said he hopes that with a successful meeting in Jeddah, he can secure the resumption of aid to Ukraine, though he did not detail if this would include the defensive aid the Trump administration halted, despite Russia’s continued bombardment against Ukrainian targets, or the intelligence sharing which the U.S. also stopped following the Oval Office showdown.
«The pause in aid broadly is something I hope we can resolve,» Rubio said. «I think what happens tomorrow will be key to that.»
Trump and Zelensky were involved in an Oval Office shouting match. (Fox News )
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Rubio also said that Russia will see its own consequences if it doesn’t agree to negotiate on ending the war in Ukraine, including additional sanctions.
«It should be clear to everyone that the United States has tools available to also impose costs on the Russian side of this equation,» Rubio said. «But we hope it doesn’t come to that.
«What we’re hoping is that both sides realize that this is not a conflict that can end by military means,» he added.
On Friday, in a posting on the Truth Social platform, Trump threatened Russia with «large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions and Tariffs,» until a ceasefire and peace settlement are reached.
-
POLITICA2 días ago
Documentos oficiales: la Argentina enfrenta 236 demandas fuera del país por más de US$27.000 millones
-
POLITICA2 días ago
El número de muertos por las inundaciones en Bahía Blanca subió a 15
-
POLITICA3 días ago
El riesgo país cayó por debajo de los 700 puntos frente a la expectativa por el acuerdo con el FMI