INTERNACIONAL
Hamas captors once held ordinary jobs — ‘teachers and doctors,’ says ex-Israeli hostage
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A former Israeli hostage held in captivity for over 500 days by Hamas claimed some of his captors once held ordinary, everyday jobs.
In the run-up to the remaining hostage release Oct. 13, Tal Shoham spoke candidly to reporters from southern Israel.
He described what struck him most, as well as the cruelty some guards inflicted on him and others.
«One of the guards was a first-grade teacher, another was a lecturer at a university, and another was a doctor. These are normal people becoming terrorists,» he said, per The Times of Israel.
ISRAELI HOSTAGES REUNITED WITH FAMILIES IN EMOTIONAL MOMENTS
Tal Shoham, a former hostage who was kidnapped by Hamas on Oct, 7. 2023, with his wife and two children as well as three other members of his family, was held in Gaza for 505 days. (REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
He also said that most of them were «not soldiers,» he told the outlet.
Interestingly, despite the «torture and cruelty» he described, Shoham said they were «so brainwashed and full of hate,» but for some of them, it didn’t seem to originate from religious motives.
«Some of them were religious, but some were only there because this is the popular thing to do. They can take all sadistic thoughts and actions not just against Israelis but also Gazans,» he added during the interview from Kibbutz Beeri.
He also told how one Hamas guard shot a Gazan man in the knees because he «looked suspicious,» and later, when the man was being treated by medics, he was killed because «they decided that he should die.»
FROM OCT 7 CAPTIVITY TO FREEDOM: PRESIDENT TRUMP SAVED ME — AND I BELIEVE HE CAN FREE THE REMAINING HOSTAGES
Tal Shoham was released by Hamas in February. (REUTERS/Hatem Khaled)
Shoham, who was abducted from Kibbutz Beeri on Oct. 7 with his wife, two young children and other relatives, was not freed with them in November 2023 but was finally released in February.
His release came during a small Qatari and Egyptian brokered deal that freed several remaining Israeli civilians in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Shoham also said he was starved and survived on only 200 to 300 calories a day while held in the tunnels as Hamas captors boasted about stealing humanitarian aid.
«I saw with my own eyes that they stole boxes and boxes and boxes of humanitarian aid from Egypt, from Turkey, from the Emirates, but they didn’t agree to give us any of this food in the tunnels,» he said.
ISRAEL ELIMINATES GAZA TERRORIST WHO TOOK PART IN OCT. ATTACK ON KIBBUTZ, TOOK YARDEN BIBAS HOSTAGE
Some Hamas captors had everyday jobs before, says a former Israeli hostage. (REUTERS/Mohammed Salem)
Shoham said being in captivity «forced me to go inward.»
«Only a few people mattered to me, my family and a few close friends,» he said, adding that hearing of his wife and children’s release on the 50th day of their captivity was «tremendous» in helping him get through his ordeal.
«I have a lot of gratitude for life. My faith in humanity and in God only increased. It is much more spiritual and religious than before.»
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The last 20 remaining living hostages were released on Monday as part of the historic Gaza peace deal brokered by President Donald Trump.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas was obligated to return all 28 bodies of dead captives as well. However, the terror group has failed to do so – a clear violation of the deal. Hamas claimed on Thursday that the process of returning the bodies would take time because the bodies were buried in tunnels and remain under rubble.
israel,middle east,terrorism
INTERNACIONAL
Red Cross shares audio of Iranian civilian explaining situation on the ground in Tehran: ‘No respite’
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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) released audio Thursday of a civilian in Tehran describing what it’s like on the ground as Operation Epic Fury rocks Iran.
«To us here, the war did not start four days ago. It started when we heard the initial news of a piling up of the forces in the region and preparations for war. Now, with the war going on, we hear constant explosions, and there is no respite from this,» the unidentified civilian said.
The civilian said the frequency of explosions has made people so nervous that even everyday noises can cause panic attacks.
«Any moment you can expect a loud noise. This has made us so nervous that any loud noise, including the noise of a car passing by, gives us a panic attack,» the civilian said.
Even with the noise of the explosions, the civilian, who said he was born and raised in Tehran, noticed the city had become a ghost town as people had either fled the war or limited movements to stay safe from aerial attacks.
Neighbors stand March 5, 2026, in Tehran, Iran, near a destroyed car with an Islamic Republic flag, looking at a building damaged in the Shahid Borujerdi residential complex in Tehran that was heavily bombed the morning of March 4 by Israel and the U.S. during Operation Epic Fury. (Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images)
«As a person who was born and lived his whole life in this city, I have never seen the city so quiet,» the civilian said. «Some of the people of my city have left. Many others stayed in, trying to limit movements to avoid getting caught in the aerial attacks on the city that never seem to come to an end. You don’t see people around. My city was a very big city and busy. I’m not used to seeing my city so calm and quiet.»
The U.S. and Israel have carried out air and sea attacks on Iran since the operation began Saturday. The operation has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, according to The Associated Press. Additionally, six U.S. service members in Kuwait were killed in the hostilities.
A destroyed car outside a building in the Shahid Borujerdi residential complex in southeast Tehran March 5, 2026, that was heavily bombed the morning of March 4 by Israel and the U.S. during Operation Epic Fury. (Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images)
IRAN’S DRONE SWARM ATTACKS UNLEASH ‘EXPONENTIAL COSTS’ ON US, PROLONGING WAR: ‘ASYMMETRIC CAPABILITY’
The ICRC has expressed concerns about the situation in Iran, and the organization’s president said on day one of Operation Epic Fury that it could have «devastating consequences for civilians.»
«The military escalation in the Middle East is igniting a dangerous chain reaction across the region, with potentially devastating consequences for civilians,» ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said.
In a statement issued a few days later, Spoljaric warned that «the scale of major military operations flaring across the Middle East risks embroiling the region — and beyond — into another large-scale armed conflict that will overwhelm any humanitarian response.»
«Without urgent steps to de-escalate the situation and respect the rules of war, further civilian lives will be lost,» Spoljaric added. «Civilians are already suffering the consequences of war.»
A view of Tehran with smoke visible in the distance after explosions were reported in the city March 2, 2026. (Contributor/Getty Images)
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According to the civilian, Iranians on the ground are worried about the future and wonder how the war will play out. Another fear among the people is the possibility of supplies running out.
«The supplies are available in the shops that are open and work. But what if the situation gets worse or continues as it is now? Will the supplies being stocked be of any help, or will they be meaningless in the face of what can happen?» the civilian wondered.
«It is especially more worrying for people like me, who have to take care of people with medical complications that require special care. We are now under a lot of stress, worried to see what can come next.»
Fox News Digital reached out to the ICRC for comment.
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war with iran,world,iran,middle east
INTERNACIONAL
Virginia Dems mandate Jan. 6 be taught as ‘violent insurrection,’ ban election fraud claims in schools
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Virginia lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday that requires public schools to describe the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot as a violent attack and specifically prohibits teachers from framing it as a peaceful protest.
Virginia Democrats have quickly advanced a slew of controversial legislation since Gov. Abigail Spanberger was elected in November and their ranks ballooned in the state House, including a bid to redraw every Republican congressman except Rep. Morgan Griffith out of their seats to make the Democratic majority 10-1 in the state’s congressional delegation. Now, they are taking steps to shape how the history of Jan. 6 is taught to children.
HB 333, crafted by Del. Dan I. Helmer of Fairfax, bars public school programs from describing the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot as a peaceful protest or presenting claims that widespread election fraud altered the 2020 presidential results as credible.
The bill specifically «prohibits» instruction that portrays the insurrection as peaceful or suggests there was «extensive election fraud» that could have changed the election outcome. However, it does not lay out any explicit criminal penalties for violations.
Del. Dan I. Helmer, D-Fairfax, left, and VA AG Jay Jones, right. (Craig Hudson/Getty Images)
In a statement to the Virginia Mercury on the bill, Helmer said there is «real concern» that President Donald Trump is «trying to rewrite the history of January 6; borne out by the fact there is a WhiteHouse.gov site that presents a false history.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Virginia Republicans for comment.
The Virginia Assembly of Independent Baptists also came out against the bill, with executive director Michael Huffman testifying before a state Senate committee that the true education equips children for life, not political agendas, and glorifying or mandating … the dark day serves only short-sighted partisanship, not our kids’ future,» according to Hampton Roads’ PBS affiliate.
Helmer, an Iraq War veteran and staunch gun control advocate, was first elected by flipping what was Fairfax County’s last remaining Republican district, along its border with Prince William County, in 2020.
VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS MOVE TO SEIZE REDISTRICTING POWER, OPENING DOOR TO 4 NEW LEFT-LEANING SEATS
Helmer also announced a bid for Congress in one of the newly-redrawn districts nicknamed the «lobster» or the «scorpion» by critics – as it runs from the Potomac River in Arlington southwestward before splitting in two «claws» to reach out toward the West Virginia line near Rawley Springs and the other jutting down toward Goochland and Powhatan effectively collecting a swath of Republican-leaning towns and pitting them against a small but densely-populated Democrat stronghold.
One of his ads in a 2018 congressional bid compared Trump to Usama bin Laden, where he narrated that the «greatest threat to democracy» used to live «in a cave» but now «he lives in the White House.»
He had recused himself from the redistricting redraw, according to the New York Times, but is considered a top ally of House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, who engineered the effort in the lower chamber.
Del. Dan I. Helmer, D-Fairfax, left, and VA AG Jay Jones, right. (Craig Hudson/Getty Images)
While the new map has yet to get voters’ approval in an April special election, Helmer has also garnered at least one Democratic challenger in the would-be heavily Democratic-favored district.
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Prosecutor J.P. Cooney, the former top deputy of Special Counsel Jack Smith in his investigation of Trump, told the New York Times that the mogul is not being sufficiently «check[ed]» by Congress and that the DHS-involved shooting of Alex Pretti solidified his decision.
Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
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capitol protests,democrats elections,abigail spanberger,virginia,bills
INTERNACIONAL
Donald Trump anunció que reemplazará a Kristi Noem, secretaria de Seguridad de Estados Unidos y responsable del ICE
Donald Trump anunció que Kristi Noem dejará de ser la secretaria de Seguridad Nacional de Estados Unidos, para ocupar un lugar en el «Escudo de las Américas» que el republicano lanzará junto a presidentes aliados en la region. La reemplazará el senador Markwayne Mullin.
El anuncio llega apenas dos días de una audiencia de Noem en el Capitolio, donde la cuestionaron por la adjudicación de un importante contrato público. Noem era la encargada del polémico programa migratorio ICE, por el que ejecutaba redadas y deportaba inmigrantes.
Las críticas se potenciaron en enero, cuando un agente le disparó y mató a una mujer en un control en Mineápolis.
La salida de Noem se concretará el 31 de marzo, según confirmó el presidente estadounidense.
«Kristi Noem nos ha servido eficazmente y ha obtenido numerosos y espectaculares resultados (¡especialmente en la frontera!)», elogió Trump a la ahora exsecretaria.
Noem será enviada especial para el Escudo de las Américas, la organización que lanzará Trump el 7 de marzo en Miami, en un encuentro del que participarán diversos presidentes de la región aliados al republicano, entre ellos Javier Milei.
Su reemplazante, Markwayne Mullin, tiene 48 años y trabaja en el Congreso hace 12 años. Durante una década fue miembro de la Cámara de Representantes por el segundo distrito de Oklahoma. El 3 de enero de 2023 pasó a tener un lugar en el Senado de Estados Unidos.
«Con 10 años de servicio en la Cámara de Representantes de Estados Unidos y 3 en el Senado, Markwayne ha realizado una excelente labor representando al maravilloso pueblo de Oklahoma, donde gané en los 77 condados, ¡en 2016, 2020 y 2024!», manifestó el presidente de Estados Unidos.
«Un guerrero MAGA y ex luchador profesional invicto de MMA, Markwayne se lleva muy bien con la gente y posee la sabiduría y el coraje necesarios para impulsar nuestra agenda de ‘América Primero’. Como el único nativo americano en el Senado, Markwayne es un defensor excepcional de nuestras increíbles comunidades tribales» , añadió el mandatario estadounidense.
Además, sugirió que Markwayne continuará la línea de trabajo de Noem, con la fuerza ICE en el centro de la estrategia de seguridad.
«Trabajará incansablemente para mantener nuestra frontera segura, detener la delincuencia migratoria, los asesinos y otros delincuentes que ingresan ilegalmente a nuestro país, acabar con el flagelo de las drogas ilegales y hacer que Estados Unidos vuelva a ser seguro. Markwayne será un excelente Secretario de Seguridad Nacional», apuntó Trump.
Trump anunció el cambio apenas dos días después de que Noem enfrentara un duro interrogatorio en el Capitolio por parte de miembros del Partido Republicano, así como de demócratas. En esas audiencias, la secretaria de Seguridad Nacional se vio en aprietos por la adjudicación de un importante contrato público.
Según la prensa, Trump habría tomado su decisión tras las audiencias de Noem en el Congreso, durante las cuales se vio en aprietos por la adjudicación de un importante contrato público.
Noem es la primera secretaria del gabinete en dejar el cargo durante el segundo mandato de Trump. La salida de Noem pone fin a un periodo turbulento al frente de tácticas de control migratorio, a través del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas y la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza, que fueron recibidas con protestas y demandas.
Ahora Noem representará a Estados Unidos en el «Escudo de las Américas», una organización en la que el presidente norteamericano trabajará con aliados de la región y que tendrá como objetivo la seguridad del hemisferio occidental, según la Casa Blanca.
Allí Trump coincidirá con Javier Milei. De hecho, Noem visitó la Argentina en julio pasado, cuando compartió un encuentro y un asado con Patricia Bullrich. También compartieron una cabalgata en Campo de Mayo.
Por esas horas, el Gobierno de Milei anunció el inicio de las gestiones para que los argentinos pudieran entrar sin visa a los Estados Unidos.
Noem y el presidente de Argentina se habían conocido en abril de 2025, cuando ambos fueron premiados junto a la ex modelo y hoy periodista Natalia Denegri en la Gala de los Patriotas Americanos, en Mar-a-Lago.
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