Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley blasted Secretary of State Antony Blinken as ‘irresponsible’ for claiming there was no connection between the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and the $6 billion of frozen funds that the U.S. released to Iran as part of a prisoner swap deal.

Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, appeared on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’ where she responded to Blinken’s earlier comments that the $6 billion could not have contributed to terrorism and that the U.S. has ‘yet to see evidence’ that Iran supported the attack.

‘I actually think it was irresponsible for Secretary Blinken to say that the $6 billion doesn’t weigh in here,’ Haley said. ‘I mean, let’s be honest with the American people and understand that Hamas knows and Iran knows they’re moving money around as we speak because they know $6 billion is going to be released. That’s the reality.’

Blinken had earlier responded to Republican criticisms on the deal that the Biden administration made with Iran to unfreeze $6 billion in funds in exchange for five U.S. prisoners held in Iran.

‘It’s very unfortunate that some are playing politics at a time when so many lives have been lost and Israel remains under attack,’ Blinken said, arguing that the $6 billion in funds from that account could only be used for medical supplies, food and medicine.

Haley claimed that it was ignorant to think the funds couldn’t be moved around and used for other means.

‘To think that they’re not moving money around is irresponsible,’ Haley said. ‘They hate Israel. They hate America. They are going to continue to use this. It was wrong to release the $6 billion.’

The Hamas attacks have killed at least 600 Israelis and wounded at least 2,000 others as Israel and Hamas fighters continue to battle on Sunday.

Haley further blasted the Biden administration’s foreign policy in the Middle East.

‘It was wrong to go and have that debacle in Afghanistan,’ she continued. ‘It was wrong to waive sanctions on Iran that gave them even more money. Money has been flowing to Iran, and that is the problem, because when Iran gets money, they use it for hate.’

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Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and his staff safely departed Israel on Sunday, a day after being forced to shelter in place as Hamas launched a barrage of thousands of rockets in a deadly surprise attack on Israel, a spokesperson for the senator said.

‘Senator Booker and accompanying staff were in Jerusalem when Hamas launched their attacks against Israel on Saturday, and sheltered in place for their safety,’ Maya Krishna-Rogers, a spokesperson for Booker, said in a statement. ‘We are grateful that Senator Booker and our colleagues were able to safely depart Israel earlier today.’

Booker arrived in Israel on Friday for several days of planned meetings and to visit sites ahead of an Abraham Accords-focused N7 summit on regional economic integration in Tel Aviv, the statement said.

Booker was scheduled to speak at the event on Tuesday.

Booker also released a statement condemning Hamas’ attack, which has so far claimed the lives of at least 600 Israelis and injured at least 2,000 more. Israeli forces are currently engaged in hostage rescue operations, and military officials have said they plan to ‘kill every terrorist in Israel.’

‘I emphatically condemn Hamas’ horrific acts of violence, kidnapping and terror targeting Israeli families, children and other civilians in towns and cities across the nation of Israel. I stand with the people of Israel and the families of those who have lost loved ones,’ Booker said in a statement.

Booker serves as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

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Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, an outspoken critic of Israel, has finally broken her silence on the unprecedented Hamas terrorist attack on Israel that has killed at least 600 Israelis and prompted Israel to officially declare war for the first time since 1973.

Tlaib’s office released a statement to the Detroit News on Sunday, more than 24 hours after Hamas launched thousands of rockets at southern Israel. 

‘I grieve the Palestinian and Israeli lives lost yesterday, today, and every day,’ the statement reads. ‘As long as our country provides billions in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue.’

Tlaib has routinely accused Israel of committing ‘ethnic cleansing’ against Palestinians and argues that Israel is an ‘apartheid state.’

‘Speaker McCarthy wants to rewrite history but the apartheid state of Israel was born out of violence and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians,’ Tlaib wrote on social media in May. ’75 years later, the Nakba continues to this day.’

Tlaib’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., have also been heavily critical of Israel in the past. They called for a ‘ceasefire’ between Israel and Hamas on Saturday.

Israel’s security cabinet officially declared war Saturday night after Hamas terrorists launched a surprise barrage of thousands of rockets into southern Israel, according to the Times of Israel. It is Israel’s first declaration of war since the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

The Hamas incursion killed at least 600 Israelis and wounded at least 2,000 more.

Israeli forces have launched retaliatory strikes against Hamas terrorists in Gaza, striking 426 targets and leveling residential buildings to the ground. Israeli military also traded fire with Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in the north, which has raised fears of a broader conflict.

Among the 313 killed in Gaza were 20 children, and close to 2,000 wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

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An Israeli woman detailed the moments when Hamas terrorists launched their attack against Israel, requiring the woman and her husband to defend their home and children before Israeli soldiers arrived to escort them to safety. 

‘We started hearing shouting in Arabic and we understood that the terrorists had penetrated the kibbutz, and this is a completely different situation that we’re in,’ kibbutz Nirim resident Michal Ravav told TPS News Agency. 

Ravav was in her home early Saturday morning when she heard alarms going off in the kibbutz and ran to get two children and herself into a ‘safe room’ at the home. She said that at first, she had no idea what was happening, citing that news outlets had not yet begun reporting on the Hamas attacks. 

She then heard gunfire and people shouting in Arabic. Her husband, she said, is a police officer and jumped into action to defend the family from terrorists. 

‘He positioned himself at the beginning of the house, the front of the house, to track and monitor to see if they’re coming in. And when we heard them coming close, I ran to a safe room and closed the door. I heard my husband starting to shoot – he has a rifle – there was a lot of shooting.’

Ravav said her husband soon returned and said that he ‘killed a terrorist’ who was trying to get into the home. The couple then heard ‘a big blast,’ she said. 

‘They threw a grenade at the safe room’s door and then they started shooting at it, as well as at the window,’ Ravav said. ‘All this time, I had children who are on the floor, petrified, quiet, under body armors that we have.’ 

She said that she and her husband aimed their firearms at the safe room’s door, telling each other, ‘Whatever comes in, we’re ready.’

Ravav said she frantically texted people to help the family, but they remained in the house for at least seven hours before Israeli soldiers escorted them to a ‘group location’ at the kibbutz. The family is still waiting to be evacuated from the area. 

The Israeli government officially declared war on Sunday, the first time the nation has made such a declaration since the Yom Kippur War of 1973. At least 700 people have died in Israel due to the attacks, while others, including women and children, have reportedly been taken hostage by Hamas terrorists.

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Senate Republicans are turning up the heat on the Biden administration’s $6 billion Iran deal in exchange for American prisoners, which they say may have helped fund Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel that has killed at least 700 people and injured 2,000 others.

The deal, which was reached last month, allowed the transfer of Iran’s frozen assets held in a South Korean bank to accounts in Qatar. The administration said the money can only be used for humanitarian purposes and the U.S. will have oversight as to how and when the funds are used. There is no evidence that any of that $6 billion has left the Qatari account.

However, Hamas spokesperson Ghazi Hamad told the BBC that they had Iran’s support for the attacks, which began Saturday. A Wall Street Journal report Sunday said Hamas and Hezbollah helped Iran plan the attack.

‘If the funds have not been released to Iran, President Biden should immediately void the agreement and freeze the $6 billion ransom payment,’ Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday.

Thousands of rockets were launched into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip as Hamas terrorists announced ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Storm’ and called on Palestinians from Jerusalem to Israel to attack Israelis.

‘There can be no tolerance for calls of de-escalation. Israel is at war and I pray that its forces destroy every last terrorist thug responsible for these atrocities,’ Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., posted to X on Sunday. ‘The United States will stand strongly with Israel as it defends its citizens and homeland.’

Progressive ‘Squad’ members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. — vocal critics of Israel — called for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas on Saturday and condemned the attacks.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., shot back at the group on X, saying, ‘Hamas exists for one reason alone, to wipe out the Jewish state of Israel.

‘So Israel has only one option in response to yesterday’s barbaric attack, the permanent elimination of Hamas,’ he continued. ‘Anyone demanding Israel not ‘escalate’ or calling for a ‘cease-fire’ is either out of touch with this unfortunate reality or sympathizes with Hamas.’

Israel formally declared war on Hamas after the attack. Biden affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself as the Pentagon catapulted assistance to Israel Defense Forces over the weekend.

Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., who sits on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, posted to X Saturday: ‘Iran’s leaders call for ‘death to Israel’ & ‘death to America.’ Money is FUNGIBLE. 2+ yrs of lax sanctions enforcement & waivers enabled Iran to bankroll terrorist proxies who seek to murder Israeli civilians & U.S. personnel. Today we saw the results.’

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said on X that the U.S. must continue to support Israel’s ‘absolute right to self-defense.’

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, also chimed in and wrote on X: ‘Make no mistake: Hamas is funded and supported by Iran. America must never appease this ruthless regime and its terror proxies who seek to kill our allies and friends.’

Fox News’ Adam Shaw and Gabriele Regalbuto contributed to this report. 

Shocked and distraught Israeli citizens are coming together to volunteer and support the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the war against Hamas that began on Saturday.

Veronika Solovjanova, a business owner in Tel Aviv, told Fox News Digital that she knows Israelis who were abroad on vacation and came back to their country to help the war effort. The war began early Saturday morning when Hamas attacked Israel on Simchat Torah, a Jewish holiday.

‘It’s very important to understand that all of us go together and we want to support [Israel] and be together,’ she said. ‘It’s important for us to protect our freedom.’

‘We don’t want to leave or escape,’ Solovjanova explained, adding that many volunteers are driving to the frontlines of the war to help soldiers.

Solovjanova shared videos of crowds of people making packages for IDF soldiers and queuing for blood drives. When asked if anything like Hamas’ attacks has ever happened to Israel in her lifetime, she gave an emphatic ‘no.’

‘It’s like we call it now, ‘our 9/11′,’ she said. ‘I saw the owner of my [store’s] building today…she’s 81 years old. I asked her, ‘Do remember something like this?’ and she said no.’

Solovjanova spent Sunday helping prepare care packages for IDF soldiers. She compared Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel to acts of violence in Ukraine.

‘Yesterday, I was crying … I’m a very strong person. But yesterday it was really so [devastating],’ she said. ‘Today I woke up and I said to myself that I just need to help.’

‘It’s like the invasion of Ukraine,’ she added. ‘What happened yesterday in this kibbutz music festival, you absolutely can compare it with the butchery in Ukraine. It’s [an] absolute massacre.’

Weeks after Israelis made international headlines about protesting against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial reforms, Solovjanova says that – even as a protestor – everyone in Israel is coming together to form a united front.

‘We just need to survive and to protect our country,’ she explained. ‘I used to live in many countries and I would say that just here in Israel, once something is happening here, all of us forget about left and right.’

The Tel Aviv resident explained that Israelis come together in crisis, and that their culture helps them cope with tragedies.

‘Always in sad moments here in Israel, we know how to find positive,’ she said. ‘We’re always singing. We’re always smiling. We make jokes.’

‘That’s a very special feeling about our people,’ she added. ‘All of us together and it’s an amazing feeling, [even though] it’s a very hard time.’

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President Biden is coming under fire for hosting a barbecue at the White House Sunday afternoon while war rages in Israel and terrorists allegedly hold Americans hostage. 

‘While Hamas holds Americans hostage, Joe Biden is enjoying a picnic with a live band,’ Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley tweeted, accompanied by a screen shoot of a White House Pool report. 

The pool report, emailed just after 6 p.m. Sunday evening, notes that a reporter could hear a ‘live band’ in the White House. 

‘In the late afternoon and early evening, a live band could be heard coming from the area near the Rose Garden. Your pooler asked why a band was playing. From the White House: The President and First Lady are hosting a BBQ for White House Executive Residence Staff and their families,’ the pool reporter wrote. 

A handful of other conservatives joined Hawley in criticizing the White House for the event on social media. 

The BBQ comes after the Israeli government officially declared war on Sunday, the first time the nation has made such a declaration since the Yom Kippur War of 1973, after terrorist organization Hamas launched surprise attacks on the nation. 

At least 700 people in Israel have died since the attacks began on Saturday morning, and at least another 2,000 people have been injured. 

Hamas has reportedly taken a large amount of hostages amid the attacks, including women and children, while U.S. officials are working to confirm if American citizens have been taken hostage or killed. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House Sunday evening for additional comment on the barbecue.

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New York Rep. Dan Goldman, a Democrat, was visiting Israel over the weekend when he and his family were forced to shelter in a hotel from rocket fire launched by Hamas terrorists as part of a surprise attack on the country.

The congressman was in Israel with his wife and three youngest children for a family Bar Mitzvah when Hamas’ began launching attacks early Saturday, Goldman’s spokesman Simone Kanter said in a statement, adding that the attacks came on Shabbat and Simchat Torah, one of the holiest Jewish holidays.

Goldman and his family sheltered from rocket fire in the interior stairwell of their hotel until they were able to safely depart for New York early Sunday morning.

Kanter said Goldman is ‘grateful for the assistance of the State Department and Israeli authorities, and he hopes all Americans can come together to support Israel’s right to defend herself from terrorism and war crimes.’

At least 1,100 people have been killed in the terrorist attack thus far, and thousands more were wounded, according to Israel’s National Rescue Service.

Hamas continues to attack Israel by launching rockets through the sky and having militants fight on the ground. Israel has responded to the attacks by launching retaliatory strikes toward Gaza.

Goldman called on Congress Sunday morning to replenish and expand the Iron Dome, Israel’s air missile defense system capable of defending against short-range rockets and intercepting them in the air.

‘I hope Republicans can get their House in order so we can pass emergency legislation to assist Israel in defending herself,’ he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The congressman was referring to the upcoming race for House speaker after eight Republicans joined all House Democrats to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., from the speakership last week.

The New York representative was not the only member of Congress in Israel over the weekend as Hamas launched its largest attack on the country in decades. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and his staff also had to shelter in place while they were in Israel.

Booker and his staff cut their trip short and departed safely from Israel on Sunday, according to his office.

The New Jersey senator arrived in Israel on Friday and had planned to stay for several days of meetings ahead of an Abraham Accords-focused N7 summit on regional economic integration in Tel Aviv, which he was scheduled to speak at on Tuesday.

‘Senator Booker and accompanying staff were in Jerusalem when Hamas launched their attacks against Israel on Saturday, and sheltered in place for their safety,’ Booker’s spokeswoman Maya Krishna-Rogers said in a statement. ‘We are grateful that Senator Booker and our colleagues were able to safely depart Israel earlier today.’

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