FLASH
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The death toll in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has exceeded 5,100 so far, according to reports from Israeli and Palestinian officials.
The war in the Gaza Strip continues to claim thousands of lives. Israel has not stopped bombing Gaza for almost two weeks after Hamas massacred and captured hundreds of Israelis in its unprecedented attack on October 7.
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes.
Gaza's health ministry said 3,478 Palestinians have been killed and 12,065 wounded in Israeli airstrikes in the besieged enclave since October 7.
In the West Bank, people are left at the mercy of their fate, without care or food as Israel has blocked the crossing points.
Israel evacuates the town on the border with Lebanon
Israel has announced an evacuation plan for Kiryat Shmona, a town in Israel's northern district that borders Lebanon.
Residents of the town near the border, across which Israeli troops and militants in Lebanon have exchanged fire, will be moved to state-subsidized hostels, the ministry said.
Kiryat Shmona has a population of more than 20,000 and is about a mile from the border fence. Lebanon is home to Hezbollah - which has been Israel for many years since 2006.
Last night foreign media published reports that an American warship shot down three missiles and several drones that were aimed at targets in Israel.
The Pentagon said the USS Carney, a Navy destroyer in the northern Red Sea, intercepted three land-attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Houthi forces in Yemen.
The missiles were "potentially" aimed at Israel, but the US has not completed its assessment of what they were targeting, said Brigadier General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's press secretary.
A number of other drone strikes over the past three days have targeted US bases, including one in southern Syria yesterday that caused minor injuries.
Carney's action potentially represents the US military's first shot at defending Israel in this conflict.
The US allows Israelis to travel without visas
The US has launched a visa waiver program that allows Israelis who wish to visit the country for 90 days or less to enter the country without applying for a visa.
The US announced on September 27 that it was admitting Israel to the visa waiver program, adding the country to a select group of 40 mainly European and Asian countries whose citizens can travel to the US for three months without a visa.
At the time, the United States said Israelis could begin traveling to America without visas as of November 30.
In a press release, the Department of Homeland Security said the measure was operational as of yesterday.
Biden agreement on sending humanitarian aid to Gaza
Joe Biden says he has secured a deal to send aid to Gaza. The president tweeted, saying that after discussions with the leaders of Israel and Egypt, the first shipment of humanitarian aid from the United Nations will be on its way to the enclave soon.
Earlier this week, the US announced it would send $100 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank.
Israel stops over 100 aid trucks from entering Gaza
There are Egyptian volunteers waiting in tents on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing waiting for aid to pass into Gaza. Over 20 trucks with food aid and medical supplies have been lined up for days, waiting to enter the besieged enclave.
PLEDGES
About 200 people, including 30 minors and young children and 20 people over the age of 60, are being held hostage in Gaza, Israeli public broadcaster Kan said yesterday, citing military sources. Hamas said there were between 200 and 250. It said more than 20 hostages had been killed by Israeli airstrikes, but gave no further details.
Where are the hostages? Israel says the hostages were taken to Gaza, but their exact location inside the enclave is unknown, making their rescue more complicated. It is believed that many may be held in the border tunnels under Gaza that Israeli troops call the "Gaza Underground".
What nationalities are the hostages? Among the hostages are people from dozens of countries, while many of them also have Israeli citizenship. This includes at least 10 Americans, 17 Thais, 16 Argentines, eight Germans, four Portuguese, two British, two Italians and one Dutch, among others, according to reports. Hamas' armed wing said on October 16 that the abducted non-Israelis were "guests" who would be released "when circumstances on the ground allow".
What is the government doing? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed a retired general, Gal Hirsch, as Israel's coordinator for hostages and missing persons. Qatar and Turkey are said to be trying to broker a deal for the release of foreigners, civilians and children. The US and Britain have said they are working with partners in the region to secure their release.
US President Joe Biden, in a televised speech late last night, urged America to remain a 'beacon to the world' with a massive new aid package for Israel and Ukraine at the same time.
Two weeks after the latest conflict began, more than 5,100 people – 3,700 Gazans and 1,400 Israelis – have been killed and over 12,000 injured.
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