Satellite imagery captured the destruction and impact of Israeli airstrikes in retaliation for an October 7 attack by Hamas militants. Images by Maxar Technologies showed blocks leveled by missiles, smoke rising over blast zones, and people sheltering in school courtyards, news agency Associated Press reported. Additionally, new graves were being prepared at the Marzouq Street cemetery in Gaza City, and tents were set up at Shifa Hospital to treat the wounded and temporarily house the dead.
- Israel’s Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, stated that the country does not plan to control “life in the Gaza Strip” after destroying the Hamas militant group. Gallant outlined three phases for the war with Hamas: airstrikes and ground maneuvers, defeating pockets of resistance, and eventually “ceasing responsibility for life in Gaza”, AP reported.
- The Israeli military reported that most of the approximately 200 people kidnapped by Hamas militants and taken to the Gaza Strip are still alive. The hostages include more than 20 children and between 10 and 20 individuals over the age of 60. Additionally, there are between 100 and 200 people considered missing since the Hamas attacks on October 7.
“The majority of the hostages are alive. There were also dead bodies that were taken… to the Gaza Strip,” an army statement said, as quoted by news agency AFP.
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Gaza’s ruler Hamas claimed that its armed wing released two American hostages, from around 200 captives abducted by the militant group in Israel on October 7.
“In response to Qatari efforts, (Ezzedine) al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens (a mother and her daughter) for humanitarian reasons,” Hamas stated in on Telegram, as per AFP.The group did not reveal how or when the hostages were released.
- US President Joe Biden urgently requested a $106 billion national security package, including $61 billion in military aid for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel, AFP reported. The request followed Biden’s linking of the Hamas attack on Israel to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as a way to emphasise the need for US global leadership. However, Republican challenges in US Congress may hinder the package’s immediate progress.
- The United States has also launched a visa waiver program permitting Israelis wishing to visit the US for 90 days or less to come without applying for a visa.
- On the other hand, Russia advised its citizens against traveling to Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories due to escalating tensions and rising casualties in the Middle East.
“The situation in the Middle East is heating up,” Moscow’s foreign ministry said. “The number of casualties and injuries is rising. Mass protests are taking place around the world.”
“We strongly recommend that Russian citizens refrain from travelling to the region, especially to Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinian territories,” it warned.
The conflict, triggered by the October 7 attack, has had a devastating toll. Israeli officials report more than 1,400 people killed, mostly civilians. In response, Israel has conducted a relentless bombardment, resulting in at least 3,785 deaths in the Gaza Strip, primarily among civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
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