Stay informed with our live updates on the unfolding crisis in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
The war that began Oct. 7 has become the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides.
More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed, and at least 199 others, including children, were captured by Hamas and taken into Gaza, according to Israel. The Hamas-backed Gaza Health Ministry said 2,778 Palestinians have been killed and 9,700 wounded. In previous Gaza wars, some Palestinian deaths in Gaza have been attributed to rockets from Hamas that fell short.
Hamas, an Islamist group that is a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, has ruled Gaza, a 45 km-long (25-mile) enclave, since 2006. Gaza is home to more than 2 million people. Israel has ordered hundreds of thousands of civilians living in northern Gaza to evacuate as it vowed to annihilate Hamas.
Thousands of people trying to escape Gaza are gathered in Rafah, which has the territory’s only border crossing to Egypt. Mediators are pressing for an agreement to let aid in and refugees with foreign passports out.
At least 31 Americans have died and 13 Americans are unaccounted for since the start of the war, the White House confirmed on Tuesday.
Here are the latest on the Israel–Hamas war:
Israel’s War With Hamas ‘Will Not Be Short,’ IDF Official Says
The Israel Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi on Wednesday warned of a prolonged conflict with Hamas while speaking to Israeli soldiers.
“This will not be short, and even if we’ll have to expand the campaign in case another enemy gets involved, we’ll know how to handle it,” Mr. Halevi told soldiers during a visit to Tel Nof Airbase near Rehovot.
Mr. Halevi added that Israel is “operating according to the law,” saying, “We’re all mad but operate by reason. We’re fighting persistently and remain humans, unlike the other side that’s fighting like animals.”
US Consulate in Southern Turkey Closes During Protests, Embassy Says
The U.S. consulate in Adana, Turkey, “will remain closed to the public until further notice” amid ongoing protests over the war between Israel and Hamas, the American embassy said in a security alert Wednesday.
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