Pope Francis’ top representative in the Middle East said Monday he was willing to trade places with Israeli children taken hostage by Hamas terrorists.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 58, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, proposed the swap in response to a question during a video conference with journalists in Italy.

“I am ready for an exchange, anything, if this can lead to freedom, to bring the children home. No problem. There is total willingness on my part,” he said.

“The first thing to do is to try to win the release of the hostages, otherwise there will be no way of stopping [an escalation]. We are willing to help, even me personally,” the monsignor continued.

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Newly released video shows the moment members of an Israeli navy unit gunned down Hamas terrorists trying to infiltrate the country by sea on the morning of the attack.

The dramatic footage captured sailors from the Snapir unit aboard Defender-class vessels firing machine guns and lobbing depth charges on the terrorists after their speedboats were sunk by Dvora-class patrol boats, The Times of Israel reported.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the terrorists tried to swim toward the Israeli coast.

“Snapir fighters opened fire on the terrorists, amid a naval pursuit. The fighters thwarted a number of terrorists at sea, and from there they continued to thwart terrorists when they reached the coastline,” the IDF said.

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Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned to Israel on Monday following meetings in six Arab countries as the US attempts to cool things down in the Gaza Strip.

Blinken — who had been in Israel on Thursday after war broke out between the nation and Hamas terrorists — landed in Tel Aviv and is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

During his brief tour, Blinken traveled to Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

“What I’ve heard from every partner is a shared view to prevent the conflict from spreading, to safeguard innocent lives, and to get assistance to those in Gaza who need it,” he posted early Monday on X, formerly Twitter.

The Secretary of State has not shied from expressing America’s support for Israel and said the US stands “with Israel as it defends itself.”

“The United States is also actively working to ensure the people of Gaza can get out of harm’s way and the assistance they need — food, water, medicine — can get in. Hamas does not care if Palestinians suffer,” he posted prior to his arrival in Tel Aviv.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has appealed to his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, to "stop aggression" in a speech on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

"We are people of a civilization. We are not animals like they are painting us. Our people will not surrender," Shtayyeh said Monday during his weekly cabinet meeting.

"We are appealing to the prime minister of Israel to stop aggression and to let them know that our people will not migrate and will not leave their land."

Shtayyeh told Israel during the speech they would "fail" if they keep with their strategy of pushing Palestinians out of their homes.

The terrorist organization Hamas has control of the Gaza Strip after being elected to power in 2007 and has run the region as a de facto government since removing the Palestinian Authority from power.

The US State Department has designated Hamas a terrorist group since 1997. 

The Palestinian Authority, dominated by rival Fatah movement, administers semi-autonomous areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank -- which has also seen an uptick in tension since the Israeli-Hamas war began on Oct. 7.

The European Union and other Western countries also consider Hamas a terrorist organization.

With Post wires

The Israeli Defense Force has sent a stark warning to Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon after an escalation in attacks on Israeli troops in the north.

"Hezbollah has executed, yesterday, a number of attacks in order to divert our operational efforts from the south," IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said during a press conference Monday.

Hagari said Israel has significantly reinforced the number of military assets in the north to deter Hezbollah terrorists -- who he said are operating under guidance from the Iranians.

The spokesman said any attack by the group would be met with an offensive effort from the IDF.

"If Hezbollah tries to test us, the answer will be deadly."

The Israeli military says the government has been in contact with 199 families of hostages that are being held in Gaza by Hamas terrorists.

“We are making valiant efforts to try to understand where the hostages are in Gaza,” IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said during a press conference Monday.

The hostages being held by Hamas terrorists include many women, children, and elderly civilians.

“We will not carry out an attack that would endanger our people,” the spokesman added.

The IDF and Defense Ministry said they are planning to evacuate civilians living in towns up near the Lebanese border as attacks by Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions become more frequent in the north.

"The National Emergency Authority (NAE) in the Ministry of Defense and the IDF announce the activation of a plan to evacuate the residents of the north, who live up to 2 km (1.2 miles) from the Lebanese border, to guest houses subsidized by the state the implementation of the program was approved by the Minister of Defense, Yoav Galant," The IDF wrote on X.

The exodus of civilians in the area will be conducted by local authorities and will be overseen by the Ministry of the Interior and the Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Defense.

"The 28 localities included in the plan are: Reger, Dishon, Kfar Yuval, Margaliot, Metula, Avivim, Dobb, Ma'ayan Baruch, Baram, Manara, Yiftah, Malkiah, Meshgav Am, Yaraon, Dafna, Arab al Aramsha, Shlomi, Natua, Ya'ara, Shtula, Matat, Zerait, Shumera, Batzat, Adamit, Rosh Hankara, Kfar Giladi and Hanita."

An Egyptian-controlled border crossing into Gaza is expected to reopen amid diplomatic efforts to get aid into the enclave that has been under intense Israeli bombing since the rampage by the militant group Hamas killed 1,300 people.

Shocked by the assault on towns and villages, Israel is carrying out the most intense bombardment Gaza has seen, has imposed a strict blockade, and is preparing a ground invasion.

Hundreds of metric tons of aid from several countries have been held up in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula for days pending a deal for its safe delivery to Gaza and the evacuation of some foreign passport holders through the Rafah crossing.

"Rafah will be reopened. We’re putting in place with the United Nations, with Egypt, with Israel, with others, a mechanism by which to get the assistance in and to get it to people who need it," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday.

Blinken did not give a specific time for the crossing to reopen. Veteran U.S. diplomat David Satterfield, appointed on Sunday as a special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues, will arrive in Egypt on Monday to work out the details, Blinken said.

The Israel Defense Forces shared that they have confiscated a massive cache of weapons and supplies used by Hamas terrorists.

The weapons seized were used during the terrorist groups' surprise invasion turned massacre on Oct. 7 and account for only 20% of the ones used by Hamas to kill Israelis, the IDF said on X.

Also seized was a surplus of medical equipment and food, which the IDF believes was brought by terrorists that expected a "long term" occupation of Israeli territory.

President Biden is considering visiting Israel in the coming days — despite the looming threat of a full-scale ground invasion by the Middle Eastern country into Gaza.

The commander-in-chief has not made any official travel plans to Israel as it enters its second week at war with Hamas, a senior administration official speaking on the condition of anonymity told the Associated Press Sunday.

Biden has staunchly voiced support for the US ally since the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas that killed more than 1,400 people including at least 30 Americans.

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