Strikes launched by Israel killed at least 58 Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip overnight and into Thursday, according to hospitals via The Associated Press.

The Jewish State resumed attacks across Gaza earlier this week, breaking a ceasefire, which reportedly killed over 400 Palestinians – mostly women and children – on Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

Israel’s military indicated that it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels early Thursday before it entered Israel’s airspace, The AP reported.

‘Hamas refused offer after offer to release our hostages. In the past two weeks, Israel did not initiate any military action, in the hope that Hamas would change course. Well, that didn’t happen. While Israel accepted the offer of President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas flatly refused to do so,’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video shared to X on Tuesday. ‘This is why I authorized yesterday, the renewal of military action against Hamas.’

‘Israel does not target Palestinian civilians. We target Hamas terrorists,’ he declared. ‘And when these terrorists embed themselves in civilian areas, when they use civilians as human shields, they’re the ones who are responsible for all unintended casualties.’

Israel launched its war on Hamas in response to the terrorist group’s heinous attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., a staunch supporter of Israel, continued to express his support while visiting the foreign nation this week.

‘Hamas does not want peace. I unapologetically, 100% stand with Israel, and demand the release of all remaining hostages. Sending this from Israel,’ Fetterman said on X on Tuesday.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said on X on Wednesday, ‘Hamas could end this war right now if it released the hostages held in Gaza. It could’ve done so months ago, but instead it’s brought devastation by prolonging this conflict. America must lead the world in pressuring Hamas to end this war and bring the hostages home.’

Israeli troops re-imposed a blockade of the northern capital of Gaza City on Thursday, less than a day after once again deploying troops into the Gaza Strip.

Israel continued with its bombardment of Gaza as well, killing 85 Palestinians from Wednesday into Thursday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. Israel maintained the blockade of Gaza City for much of the war prior to the January ceasefire, which collapsed earlier this week.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) warned residents not to use the main road to travel north into Gaza City.

The IDF is also conducting further ground operations in the northern town of Beit Lahiya. Most of the Palestinian deaths over the past 24 hours have centered on the town.

Hamas launched a handful of rockets into Israel on Thursday, resulting in no casualties.

The total death toll in Gaza since Tuesday has risen to 592, according to the health ministry. The death toll has not been independently verified.

In addition to the blockade at Gaza City, IDF troops are also deployed to the Netzarim corridor, a key section of Gaza that essentially cuts the strip in half. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that Israel will continue its military operations until every hostage has been returned from Hamas custody.

‘Hamas refused offer after offer to release our hostages. In the past two weeks, Israel did not initiate any military action, in the hope that Hamas would change course. Well, that didn’t happen. While Israel accepted the offer of President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas flatly refused to do so,’ Netanyahu said in a video shared to X on Tuesday. ‘This is why I authorized yesterday, the renewal of military action against Hamas.’

‘Israel does not target Palestinian civilians. We target Hamas terrorists,’ he declared. ‘And when these terrorists embed themselves in civilian areas, when they use civilians as human shields, they’re the ones who are responsible for all unintended casualties.’

President Donald Trump accused former President Joe Biden on Sunday of using an autopen to sign important documents — including pardons on including some for lawmakers who served on the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Trump claimed that Biden’s more than 8,000 pardons were void and that Biden did not know what documents he was signing through the automated device, calling into question Biden’s mental sharpness while in office and whether he personally approved all official actions. 

What is an autopen, and how does it work?

An autopen is a device that physically holds a pen and is programmed to replicate a person’s signature. It is not a stamp or a digitized print of someone’s signature, and various autopen machines have the capability to hold different types of pens, ranging from ballpoint to permanent marker, according to descriptions of autopen machines available for purchase. 

Modern machines allow someone to save a signature on a smart card or USB flash drive, and then transfer it to the machine. To activate the device, one inserts the pen and then either presses a button or uses a foot pedal to create the signature. 

Other autopen machines have the capacity to write full-length letters for mass, handwritten mail campaigns, where one can select various fonts and input data to determine spacing, size, angle, among other things. 

Use of an autopen is common for lawmakers and other figures like celebrities, who may be required to sign a large swath of documents at one time. For example, former President Barack Obama signed off on an aide using an autopen machine in 2011 to reauthorize the Patriot Act, while he was abroad in France and unable to physically sign it himself. 

That episode marked the first known incident of a president signing legislation with an autopen, even though other presidents like Lyndon B. Johnson were photographed with the machine and reportedly used it to sign correspondence after the machine’s invention during World War II. 

A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital Tuesday that Trump uses his hand signature on every legally operational or binding document, in keeping with his administration’s official policy during both terms. However, Trump admitted he uses one for letters. 

Trump told reporters on Air Force One Sunday that although he employs an autopen for correspondence, it is ‘disgraceful’ to use one when signing documents such as pardons.

However, the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel determined in 2005 that the president is authorized to use an autopen to sign bills into law. More recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a ruling in February that said the absence of ‘a writing does not equate to proof that a commutation did not occur.’

‘The constitutional text is thus silent as to any particular form the President’s clemency act must take to be effective,’ the circuit court said in its opinion.

Despite Trump’s concerns over the validity of Biden’s pardons due to the alleged use of an autopen, constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley told Fox News Digital that the odds of successfully legally challenging them in court are ‘vanishingly low.’ 

‘Presidents are allowed to use the autopen and courts will not presume a dead-hand conspiracy,’ Turley said. 

A spokesperson for Biden did not provide comment on the record to Fox News Digital. 

Trump’s attacks on Biden over the use of an autopen come after the Oversight Project with conservative think-tank The Heritage Foundation released a report March 6 claiming that it conducted an analysis of Biden documents, and found that a majority of documents signed during his administration used an autopen.

‘This apparent use raises concerns about: whether President Biden personally authorized each official act; whether or which unelected staff controlled the autopen device; and whether they acted with his approval,’ the Oversight Project said in a report released Monday. 

The Associated Press and Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report. 

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he was ‘skeptical’ of Dr. Mehmet Oz’s views, particularly on transgender procedures for minors and abortion, and released a series of questions Wednesday that he plans to ask President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) during his road to confirmation. 

‘I’ve been reading up on Dr. Oz – I see he’s praised trans surgeries for minors and supported hormone treatments & puberty blockers for kids in the past,’ Hawley wrote on X on Wednesday. ‘And has also criticized state laws protecting life. I hope he’s changed his views to match President Trump! We need the Trump agenda at CMS.’ 

In a series of written questions for Oz, Hawley asked the former heart surgeon and TV personality if his views have changed since hosting a television show. 

Hawley noted that Oz had on his show ‘various transgender advocates as well as a surgeon who performed transgender surgery’ and ‘also invited children to discuss switching genders and praised parents for helping their children ‘transition’.’  

‘Do you support President Trump’s position that gender transition procedures for minors should be banned?’ one question directed at Oz and shared by Hawley’s press office asked. 

The senator also asked if Trump’s nominee supported the president’s executive order barring biological men from competing in women’s sports. 

‘Do you believe that CMS has a role in promoting or supporting gender transition surgery in any way?’ Hawley asked. 

The senator asked Oz if he would commit to never issuing a National Coverage Determination at CMS for ‘gender reassignment surgery’ or equivalent procedures, including the use of hormone and puberty blockers, in line with Trump’s policies. He also asked if Oz would support Trump’s efforts to halt federal funding to hospitals that provide so-called ‘gender-affirming care’ to minors.

Hawley noted Oz had stated in the past that he did not want to ‘interfere’ with doctors prescribing puberty blockers for minor children and asked if that was still his position. 

‘Do you believe the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which every Justice appointed by President Trump supported, was correctly decided?’ Hawley asked. 

The senator questioned whether Oz’s position has changed since he in 2019 opposed state limitations on abortion related to fetal heartbeat by describing it as ‘little electrical exchanges in the cell that no one would hear or think about as a heart.’ 

In 2019, Oz predicted a state would face a ‘big sucking sound of business leaving’ over its pro-life law, the senator noted, asking Trump’s nominee to answer if he would allow his decisions as head of CMS to be ‘influenced by corporate preferences.’ 

Oz testified last week that CMS would abide by the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal taxpayer dollars from funding abortions.

‘As a physician, I’ve been in the room when there’s some difficult conversations happening. I don’t want the federal government involved with that at all,’ Oz stated in 2022, according to Hawley’s office. The senator cited how Oz also said he did not want the federal government ‘impinging’ on actions the states may make regarding abortion.

‘But many federal laws and regulations implicate life issues,’ Hawley said. ‘President Trump’s administration has opposed federal funding for abortion, for example, at home and abroad. Will you support the President’s position and commit to upholding existing laws that prevent federal funds from being used for abortions?’ 

Hawley asked Oz if he would uphold protections for conscience rights related to abortion, including under the Weldon, Church and Coats-Snowe Amendments. 

The senator noted that CMS under Trump approved waivers allowing states to exclude abortion-performing clinics from the Medicaid program and asked Oz if he would support the president’s policy and back similar waivers if he is confirmed by the Senate. Hawley questioned whether Oz would ‘support action at the federal level to directly exclude abortion providers from the Medicaid program.’ 

‘The Biden administration issued guidance via CMS suggesting that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) required hospitals to perform abortions, overriding state laws,’ Hawley noted. The senator asked Oz if he would return to the Trump policy and ‘clarify that EMTALA does not mandate abortions.’ 

Finally, Hawley noted that CMS under Trump required separate billing plans that covered abortion in Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketing plans and the Biden administration eliminated that requirement. He asked if Oz would support returning Trump’s policy of ‘transparent billing practices and ensure that consumers pay properly separate charges for abortion.’ 

The 64-year-old was a respected heart surgeon who turned into a popular TV pitchman. He sold everything from supplements to private health insurance plans on ‘The Dr. Oz Show,’ which ran for 13 seasons and helped him amass a fortune.

If confirmed, Oz will oversee health insurance for about 150 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or ACA coverage. As CMS administrator, he could wield significant power over most health companies operating in the U.S., because he can make decisions about who and what is covered by Medicare and Medicaid.

Oz faced over two and a half hours of questioning Friday before the Republican-controlled Senate Finance Committee, which has yet to vote on whether to forward his nomination to the full Senate for consideration. Hawley is not a Finance Committee member and did not question Oz during the hearing last week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Hamas has claimed responsibility for rockets fired at Israel on Thursday.

‘This launch is the resistance’s first response to the zionist entity’s violation of the ceasefire, which resulted over 710 martyrs in the last three days. It also comes after the IOF’s renewed ground invasion into Beit Lahia this morning, and the failure of the mediators and the world to curb the IOF’s aggression,’ according to reports.

Strikes launched by Israel killed at least 58 Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip overnight and into Thursday, according to hospitals via the Associated Press.

The Jewish State resumed attacks across Gaza earlier this week, breaking a ceasefire, which reportedly killed over 400 Palestinians – mostly women and children – on Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

Israel’s military indicated that it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels early Thursday before it entered Israel’s airspace, the AP reported.

‘Hamas refused offer after offer to release our hostages. In the past two weeks, Israel did not initiate any military action, in the hope that Hamas would change course. Well, that didn’t happen. While Israel accepted the offer of President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas flatly refused to do so,’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video shared to X on Tuesday. ‘This is why I authorized yesterday, the renewal of military action against Hamas.’

‘Israel does not target Palestinian civilians. We target Hamas terrorists,’ he declared. ‘And when these terrorists embed themselves in civilian areas, when they use civilians as human shields, they’re the ones who are responsible for all unintended casualties.’

Israel launched its war on Hamas in response to the terrorist group’s heinous attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., a staunch supporter of Israel, continued to express his support while visiting the foreign nation this week.

‘Hamas does not want peace. I unapologetically, 100% stand with Israel, and demand the release of all remaining hostages. Sending this from Israel,’ Fetterman said on X on Tuesday.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said on X on Wednesday, ‘Hamas could end this war right now if it released the hostages held in Gaza. It could’ve done so months ago, but instead it’s brought devastation by prolonging this conflict. America must lead the world in pressuring Hamas to end this war and bring the hostages home.’