Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Capitol Hill gridlock rattles Ukraine: GOP demands plan for victory; Dems say it’s aid or defeat
Ukraine's prospects for victory over Russia hinge on the outcome of a bitter partisan battle playing out this week on Capitol Hill, top Ukrainian and U.S. officials said Tuesday, as both Kyiv and the Biden administration mounted a full-court press to convince skeptical Republicans to back another round of aid for Ukraine before it's too late. Published December 5, 2023
Houthis goad U.S. Navy in Middle East, step up campaign against Israel, shipping
A series of escalating clashes between U.S. troops and Houthi rebel forces adds even more fuel to a powder keg in the Middle East, with analysts warning that the Iran-backed militant movement in Yemen is the most dangerous of adversaries -- an unpredictable force with little to lose and no particular stake in stability in one of the world's most dangerous regions. Published December 4, 2023
Fierce social media fight to shape Gaza narrative in Israel-Hamas enter digital battleground
Even during the just-ended seven-day pause in fighting on the ground, there was no let-up in the digital war between Israel and Hamas. Published December 1, 2023
Truce collapses: Israeli fighter jets hit targets in Gaza, fate of remaining hostages in doubt
The fragile truce between Israel and Hamas collapsed Friday morning and a new round of hostilities erupted in and around the Gaza Strip, raising major questions about the fate of the remaining hostages held by Hamas and stoking fears about further civilian suffering in the densely packed Palestinian enclave. Published December 1, 2023
U.S. Navy warship shoots down drone launched by Houthis from Yemen, official says
A U.S. warship on Wednesday shot down an Iranian-made drone launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen, Pentagon officials said, the latest in a string of confrontations between American forces and Iran-backed groups in the Middle East. Published November 29, 2023
Hamas releases 12 more hostages as fragile cease-fire holds — for now
Hamas on Tuesday released another dozen hostages it had been holding for nearly two months, even as members of the Palestinian militant group engaged in a firefight with Israeli troops in northern Gaza that threatened to undermine the fragile cease-fire. Published November 28, 2023
War threatens to end Netanyahu power; Israelis fed up with divisiveness, defiance of accountability
The bloody campaign to crush Hamas is perhaps the most ambitious undertaking of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decades of rule. Even as the nation rallies together after Hamas' horrific Oct. 7 terrorist assault and while a shaky cease-fire and prisoner exchange plays out, a recent survey showed Mr. Netanyahu's approval rating among the Israeli public at a dismal 22%. Published November 26, 2023
Biden doesn’t know when Hamas will free American hostages in Gaza
President Biden on Friday praised the release of two dozen hostages who had been held by Hamas terrorists for more than six weeks but said "we don't know" when Americans will be set free. Published November 24, 2023
Americans not included in first round of hostages released by Hamas in Israel-Gaza truce
The militant group Hamas on Friday released about two dozen hostages it had been holding for more than six weeks, though Americans were not included in the first round. Published November 24, 2023
Four-legged heroes: Congress weighs valor medal for military dogs
For centuries, man's best friend has also been one of America's fiercest defenders. A push in Congress to honor heroic military working dogs has refocused a spotlight on the vital role of K-9 warriors throughout U.S. history. Published November 22, 2023
Israeli Cabinet approves cease-fire with Hamas that includes release of some 50 hostages
The Israeli Cabinet agreed late Tuesday to a four-day cease-fire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Hamas releasing 50 of the roughly 240 hostages it took during its Oct. 7 terrorist assault on Israel. Published November 21, 2023
Israel tests new warfare approach fusing military capacities
It's a fight Israel didn't want, but it's one that will test Jerusalem's new approach to war in the 21st century. Published November 16, 2023
Israel military says footage shows Hamas used hospital as base, arms depot
Israeli troops on Wednesday said they uncovered caches of weapons, computers and other elements of the Palestinian Hamas militia's arsenal hidden inside the Shifa hospital in Gaza, even as the raid on the enclave's largest medical facility added more fuel to an already white-hot global debate over the humanitarian cost of the Israeli offensive. Published November 15, 2023
Mess around and find out: Intense video shows U.S. military obliterating Iranian training sites
The Pentagon has released dramatic footage of recent U.S. airstrikes on training facilities and safe houses used by the Iranian military and its affiliated militias. Published November 15, 2023
Israeli raid on Shifa hospital fuels anger, divisions abroad; Israel says Hamas using site as shield
Israel's raid on the Shifa hospital in the Gaza Strip is adding fresh fuel to an already heated backlash abroad over the Jewish state's campaign against Hamas. Published November 15, 2023
‘Expect Americans in body bags’: Middle East on the brink as U.S., Iran spiral toward war
The U.S. and Iran edged closer to a full-blown military confrontation Thursday after a series of clashes between American troops and Iranian proxy forces, as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to drag the entire Middle East into a new cycle of conflict. Published November 9, 2023
U.S. fighter jets hit Iran-backed militias in Syria again
U.S. fighter jets on Wednesday struck Iran-backed militias in eastern Syria, the Pentagon said, the second such American strike against Iran-linked groups over the past two weeks as fears of escalation mount in the Middle East. Published November 8, 2023
Border strikes fuel Hezbollah-Israel tensions as Gaza incursion deepens
The Shiite militant group Hezbollah threatened Israel on Monday with a "firm and strong" response and said the Jewish state "will pay the price" after an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed three children in Lebanon, stoking fears of a two-front war that could plunge the Middle East into chaos. Published November 6, 2023
What happens next? Questions mount about Gaza’s future as Israel-Hamas war rages
Rooting out Hamas and its network of militant fighters from the densely packed Gaza Strip is one of the most complex challenges the Israeli military has ever faced. Published November 5, 2023
U.S. drones flying over Gaza, aiding hostage recovery efforts
Unarmed U.S. drones are flying over the Gaza Strip to help recover hostages, the Pentagon said Friday, as Israel, America and other nations race to secure the release of the more than 200 prisoners believed to be held by Hamas terrorists. Published November 3, 2023