INTERNACIONAL
Netanyahu backs Israel’s proposed death penalty for terrorists amid intense public debate
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A controversial bill proposing the death penalty for Palestinian terrorists — backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — has ignited intense public and political debate.
While Netanyahu initially refrained from publicly supporting the legislation, reportedly over concerns that it could affect hostages held in Gaza, his spokesperson has since confirmed his endorsement.
«In terms of the death-penalty bill, it’s known that the prime minister supports this, of course, as a punishment after a fair trial in our judicial system. Anyone that harms the State of Israel and its citizens will face consequences,» Shosh Bedrosian, spokesperson for foreign media at the Prime Minister’s Office, said.
ISRAEL’S COVERT CAMPAIGN TARGETS HAMAS TERRORISTS BEHIND OCT 7 MASSACRE
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a press conference at the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 28, 2023. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP)
Coalition lawmaker and bill sponsor Limor Son Har-Melech told Fox News Digital, «Although the law is not yet fully drafted, we want to deal with the phenomenon of terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens, and therefore, on the basic principles, we have determined that the law will apply to those who carry out terrorist attacks against citizens of the State of Israel.» Har-Melech’s party, Otzma Yehudit, has pushed the bill.
A document outlining the law’s basic principles states that the sentence «will be imposed by a simple majority without discretion, without the ability to modify the type of sentence, without the ability to mitigate the sentence by offering a deal or through pardon (subject to existing law).»
To prevent delays, the document adds that the execution «will be carried out within 90 days» and that it will be administered by the Prison Service «by means of a poison injection.»
Terrorists in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah celebrate the ceasefire on Jan. 19, 2025. (TPS-IL)
The document highlights the bill’s intended deterrent effect, noting that Israel has repeatedly been targeted by terror groups seeking to kidnap Israelis for prisoner exchanges. A 2011 deal, for instance, saw 1,027 Palestinian prisoners released in return for IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped in 2005. Assassinated Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar —widely viewed as the architect of the Oct. 7 massacre — was among those freed in that exchange.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israeli national security minister and Otzma Yehudit Party chief, told Fox News Digital, «The death penalty law for terrorists is necessary and extremely important. Whoever raped our daughters, murdered our elders, or slaughtered our children has no right to exist, no right to breathe air for a single second. His sentence is one: to put him on the gallows.»
He added, «This law is moral and ethical, and it sends a very clear message to our enemies: don’t mess with us. I will continue to advance this law with all my might. I will not let up until we pass it, God willing.»
HAMAS CO-FOUNDER SNAPS AFTER BEING QUESTIONED ON OCT. 7 AFTERMATH: ‘GO TO HELL’
Hamas terrorists killed civilians, including women, children and the elderly, when they attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces via AP)
Dr. Amir Fuchs, a senior researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute, told Fox News Digital that research indicates capital punishment does not significantly deter ordinary murderers, and its effect on terrorists — who already risk their lives — may be even weaker.
He also noted that the law provides no discretion for the court or prosecution, effectively making the death penalty mandatory in certain cases.
«It’s extreme and, I believe, unconstitutional. It also would not apply to Jewish terrorists, which is discriminatory,» Fuchs said.
«This assumption that we will execute tens of thousands of people is completely false. The law applies only to murderers. The idea that enacting the death penalty means all terrorists will be executed is simply not true,» he added.
Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Israel’s minister for the Negev, the Galilee and National Resilience, told Fox News Digital that the death penalty law for terrorists is important as it is intended to put an end to the kidnappings of Israelis.
«The only way there will be no more kidnappings of Israelis is if there are no more terrorists to release in exchange for them,» Wasserlauf said.
A bloodied handprint stains a wall in a Nir Oz house after Hamas terrorists attacked this kibbutz days earlier near the border of Gaza. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
BODY OF ISRAELI HOSTAGE WHO ‘FOUGHT HEROICALLY’ TO DEFEND COMMUNITY DURING OCT 7 MASSACRE IS RETURNED: IDF
The death penalty has been used only twice in Israel’s history — most notably in the 1962 execution of SS officer Adolf Eichmann, a chief architect of the Holocaust.
United Torah Judaism lawmaker Yaakov Asher, who opposes the bill, told Fox News Digital that his objection is rooted in the principle of pikuach nefesh, a fundamental principle in Jewish law that prioritizes the preservation of human life above almost all other religious commandments.
Knesset member Limor Son Har-Melech, left, sponsored the capital punishment bill for terrorists. (Matan Golan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
«Rabbi Dov Lando instructed us to oppose it, warning that even raising the issue — let alone legislating it — could trigger a wave of terrorism against Jews,» Asher said. «There is also the halakhic concern of ‘provoking the nations of the world,’ which requires weighing whether any measure would protect Jews or, God forbid, endanger even one.»
The Hadash–Ta’al faction in the Knesset, led by Dr. Ahmed Tibi, issued an official statement denouncing the bill as discriminatory and incendiary.
«It is clear to us that the death penalty will not deter; on the contrary, it will produce the opposite effect and may increase attacks — something we oppose as a group. We want to advance a political process that will end the conflict,» the statement said.
«All human rights values and norms fundamentally oppose the death penalty from a humane perspective,» it continued. «We know from our parliamentary and political work that the proposed bill is nothing less than an act of vengeance that deepens hatred and fuels an atmosphere of incitement and extremism among both people,» it added.
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The bill still requires two additional readings in the Knesset plenum to pass and remains subject to possible amendments beforehand.
israel,terrorism,conflicts,hamas,benjamin netanyahu
INTERNACIONAL
86 Dems vote with Republicans to condemn socialism in wake of Mamdani’s mayoral victory
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The House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution condemning socialism Friday morning, with several Democrats crossing the aisle to rebuke «socialist policies» in the U.S. following Zohran Mamdani’s recent election as the mayor-elect of New York City.
Eighty-six Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure in a 285-98 vote. Two members, Rep. Deborah Ross, D-Pa., and Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., voted present.
Notably, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. — who endorsed Mamdani just days before the mayoral election — also voted in favor of the measure.
The resolution, introduced by Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., highlights a list of the economic system’s failures and serves as a rebuke of political forces inching toward more socialist platforms. Among other items, it asserts that socialism has led to famine and mass murder under the Cuban Castro regime, the Chinese rule of Mao Zedong, the ongoing Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro and others.
«Resolved by the House of Representatives that Congress denounces socialism in all its forms and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States,» the text reads.
SOCIALIST WAVE GOES COAST-TO-COAST AS HISTORIC WINS SHAKE UP THE 2025 MAYORAL ELECTIONS
Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., speaks during a roundtable discussion at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Mar. 3, 2025. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
While the resolution itself isn’t binding, the congressional rebuke comes as socialism — and its political momentum — have taken up a larger share of the national spotlight in recent months.
Progressive candidates like Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and others have continued to push for an increased government role in public services like healthcare and education. That’s dovetailed with new champions of progressive policies like Mamdani, a self-described socialist.
The resolution also comes as Mamdani is set to meet with President Donald Trump on Friday.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said he believes socialism is incompatible with the American ideal of freedom. He applauded the resolution on Friday morning.
«It always leads to a destruction of liberties for people,» Donalds said of socialism.
DEMOCRATS DID START THE FIRE OF SOCIALISM. NOW, THEY ARE AFRAID IT WILL BURN THEM
New York City Democratic Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani celebrates as he takes the stage at his election night watch party at the Brooklyn Paramount in New York City on Nov. 4, 2025. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
He noted that socialism requires a top-down structure of authority to manage the distribution of resources. That, he believes, is a trait shared by other forms of oppressive government.
«We have a responsibility to defend the American core of capitalism, free markets and liberty [against] socialism, democratic socialism, communism, authoritarianism, fascism,» Donalds said.
While increasingly progressive wings of the Democratic Party have enjoyed momentum in recent months at a time when the party has struggled to unite behind a cohesive brand, not all Democrat lawmakers view socialism’s emergence as something the party should embrace.
Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., one of the members who voted for the disapproval resolution on Friday, has opposed overtly socialist platforms, urging his Democrat colleagues to return to a more centrist path.
REPUBLICANS PUSH TO MAKE MAMDANI THE NEW FACE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., speaks during a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 3, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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«I talk about being a new kind of old-fashioned Democrat and giving policy prescriptions about what we need to do to address people’s concerns about the economy and affordability and the cost of living and wages,» Suozzi wrote on X earlier this month. «The answer is not the populism of Donald Trump or Zohran Mamdani — it’s about giving specific policy prescriptions.»
politics,congress,socialism
Paneles solares instalados recientemente en la casa de Joelma Morães Anjo, residente de toda la vida de la isla de Paquetá, cerca de Belém, Brasil, el 16 de noviembre de 2025. Cientos de millones de personas en todo el mundo aún carecen de acceso a la electricidad, y solo en el hemisferio occidental, unos 17 millones no tienen acceso a ella, mientras que otros 60 millones dependen de pequeños generadores que utilizan diésel, uno de los combustibles más contaminantes y caros. (Alessandro Falco/The New York Times)Vista lejana de cruceros anclados que sirven como hoteles temporales para algunos de los miles de asistentes a la conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre el cambio climático, COP30, celebrada en Belém, Brasil, el 16 de noviembre de 2025. Cientos de millones de personas en todo el mundo aún carecen de acceso a la electricidad, y solo en el hemisferio occidental, unos 17 millones no tienen acceso a ella, mientras que otros 60 millones dependen de pequeños generadores que utilizan diésel, uno de los combustibles más contaminantes y caros. (Alessandro Falco/The New York Times)
Antonia Maia, quien vivió la mayor parte de su vida sin electricidad hasta que este año instaló un sistema de paneles solares y baterías en su casa, en la isla Paquetá, cerca de Belém, Brasil, el 16 de noviembre de 2025. Cientos de millones de personas en todo el mundo aún carecen de acceso a la energía eléctrica, y tan solo en el hemisferio occidental, unos 17 millones no tienen acceso a ella, mientras que otros 60 millones dependen de pequeños generadores que utilizan diésel, uno de los combustibles más contaminantes y caros. (Alessandro Falco/The New York Times)
Joelma Morães Anjo, residente de toda la vida de la isla de Paquetá, cerca de Belém, Brasil, en su casa, donde hace apenas unos meses, el 16 de noviembre de 2025, se instaló un sistema confiable de electricidad mediante paneles solares. (Alessandro Falco/The New York Times)
Estilos
La hija de Joelma Morães Anjo ve un video en su teléfono inteligente en su casa, donde hace apenas unos meses se instaló un sistema confiable de electricidad mediante paneles solares, en la isla Paquetá, cerca de Belém, Brasil, el 16 de noviembre de 2025. (Alessandro Falco/The New York Times)
Tras jugar al fútbol, unos niños se reúnen en una casa con electricidad para cargar sus teléfonos y jugar a videojuegos en la isla de Paquetá, cerca de Belém, Brasil, el 16 de noviembre de 2025. (Alessandro Falco/The New York Times)
Participantes y jugadores en un torneo de fútbol juvenil en la isla de Jutuba, cerca de Belém, Brasil, el 16 de noviembre de 2025. (Alessandro Falco/The New York Times)INTERNACIONAL
Israel-Hezbollah border tensions rise as terror group rearms, resists US- backed ceasefire
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The Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist movement Hezbollah is rebuilding its military arsenal on Israel’s northern border, as experts warn that another war between the two sides could be on the horizon. The latest developments come a year after the U.S. helped broker a ceasefire between the parties.
On Wednesday, IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani, said Hezbollah had engaged «in a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.» Shoshani also released a video showing the rearming, claiming the terror group was «operating to reestablish its assets in the village of Beit Lif.»
Critics argue that the U.N. peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, is not fulfilling its mandate to disarm the terror group and the Lebanese Armed Forces are moving too slowly, which has led to continued Israeli actions against the terrorists. The IDF has been launching near-daily strikes against the group’s infrastructure and operatives inside Lebanon.
IRAN SMUGGLED $1B TO HEZBOLLAH THIS YEAR DESPITE US SANCTIONS, TREASURY OFFICIAL SAYS
Hezbollah fighters attend the funeral of their commander Wissam al-Tawil, in the village of Khirbet Selm, south Lebanon, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. A war of words that has unfolded in Lebanon show longstanding schisms in the small country over Hezbollah, now amplified by the militant group’s role in the Lebanon-Israel border clashes and by fears that an already crisis-hit Lebanon could be dragged into an all-out war. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
Sarit Zehavi, a leading Israeli security expert on Hezbollah from the Israel Alma Research and Education Center, told Fox News Digital that Hezbollah does not currently «have the capability to carry out an October invasion. They had it prior to Oct. 7, 2023. They can send in a few terrorists. I want to believe it will take a few years to get those capabilities back.»
Fox News Digital exclusively reported last year on Hezbollah’s war plan to invade northern Israel and carry out a scorched-earth campaign against the Jewish state.
A day after the Iran-backed Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and massacred over 1,200 people, Hezbollah launched missile attacks against Israel.
A strike against Hezbollah that the Israeli Air Force says was carried out overnight. (Israeli Air Force)
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MIDDLE EAST’S HEZBOLLAH AND HAMAS GROUPS?
Zehavi said, «Both the IDF and Hezbollah are very active. The IDF is very active to stop the rehabilitation of Hezbollah and Hezbollah is very active in rebuilding. Hezbollah learned lessons. It has been more problematic to smuggle weapons to Lebanon from Syria. It is happening. But the Syrians intercepted weapons.»
She noted that the «Syrian regime is willing to fight Hezbollah to fight weapons smuggling. Hezbollah is relying more on manufacturing rockets.»
Zehavi, who lives in northern Israel, said that «almost half of Israeli attacks on Hezbollah are south of the Litani river. We see a lot of investment from Hezbollah in drones, short-range rockets, mortars and anti-tank missiles.»
On Tuesday in Germany, prosecutors started a trial against an alleged Hezbollah member running «an extensive drone program for some time.»
The German Federal Prosecutor’s Office said the suspected Hezbollah operative Fadel Z joined Hezbollah more than 10 years ago and worked as a «foreign operator» for the group’s drone program in 2022 in Spain and Germany.
Zehavi said it suffered a defeat of its leadership via the Mossad pager attack on its commanders. However, she added, «Iran immediately provided oxygen to Hezbollah for treatment to help revive Hezbollah.»
Hezbollah fighters carry the coffin of four fallen comrades who were killed Tuesday after their handheld pagers exploded, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, on Wednesday, Sept. 18. (Bilal Hussein/ AP)
ISRAEL DEGRADES IRAN-BACKED HEZBOLLAH TERRORISTS IN SPECTACULAR PAGER EXPLOSION OPERATION: EXPERTS
She outlined Israel’s main defense strategy against Hezbollah. First, the IDF has positions in Syria and Lebanon. «We cannot have civilians on the front line. The IDF is on top of hills in Israel and Lebanon and can see everything and can respond quickly to terrorist activities. This means when an Israeli woman opens her window and used to see a Hezbollah flag, she now sees an Israeli flag. This gives her a sense of security. This was not present before Oct. 7.
She estimates Hezbollah has 50,000 terrorists and 50,000 reservists. «We killed a few thousand terrorists.»
The IDF made dramatic advances in eradicating Hezbollah’s missile arsenal. «We degraded 80%» of the rockets, Zehavi said, noting the elimination of sizable numbers of Hezbollah’s long-range and highly accurate missiles.
Edy Cohen, a Lebanese-born Israeli scholar of Hezbollah, said, «There is no lack of arms for Hezbollah in Beirut and Lebanon. Lately, we saw many reports that Hezbollah received arms from Syria and Iran is trying to send arms by civilian Iranian airplanes.»
Lebanese Hezbollah fighters are taking part in cross-border raids, part of a large-scale military exercise, in Aaramta bordering Israel on May 21, 2023 ahead of the anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. (Fadel Itani/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
HEZBOLLAH’S NEIGHBORS: ISRAELI BORDER COMMUNITY UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK FROM TERROR GROUP
He said there is enormous pressure on Hezbollah and every week Israel is killing Hezbollah operative. The Shiite community in Lebanon wants Hezbollah to retaliate against Israel, said Cohen, adding, «For the Shiite community Hezbollah is the state.»
Cohen said the IDF is gathering intelligence information about Hezbollah’s arsenal and attacking almost every day its leaders and operatives.
Hezbollah terrorists are taking part in cross-border raids, part of a large-scale military exercise, in Aaramta, bordering Israel, on May 21, 2023 ahead of the anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. (Fadel Itani/NurPhoto via Getty Image)
He warned that because «Hezbollah said it will not disarm its militia … the big war will come.»
Fox News Digital reported in early November that Trump’s U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Barrack, who also serves as envoy to Syria, said that Lebanon is a «failed state,» because of its «paralyzed government.»
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He also noted that Hezbollah retains 40,000 fighters and between 15,000 and 20,000 rockets and missiles, noting the terror group pays its militia $2,200 per month, whereas the Lebanese Armed Forces soldiers earn $275 a month and have inferior equipment as well.
israel,terrorism,conflicts,lebanon,national security
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