Stay informed with our live updates on the unfolding crisis in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
The war that began on Oct. 7 has become the deadliest of the 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, a Muslim Brotherhood-founded Islamist group that is a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, has ruled the Gaza Strip, 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 south as it has vowed to annihilate Hamas, while at the same time demanding that Hamas release the 199 hostages, otherwise, Israel will be forced to continue withholding water, food, and power to Gaza.
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. Israel is trying to link aid to the release of hostages by Hamas.
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 updates on the Israel–Hamas war:
Biden to Address the Nation on US Response to Hamas’ Attacks on Israel
President Joe Biden will address the nation at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday to discuss the U.S. response to Hamas’s terrorist attacks against Israel and Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine.
Biden Says Egypt Agrees to Open Rafah Crossing for Gaza Aid
President Joe Biden on Wednesday said Israel had agreed to let Egypt’s president allow in 20 trucks with humanitarian aid at the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, despite no progress on getting Hamas to release its hostages.
Pro-Palestinian Jewish Protestors Demanding Ceasefire in Israel Arrested at Capitol
A large group of protesters demanding an Israeli cease-fire entered the Cannon House office building in the afternoon of Oct. 18, resulting in several arrests, according to Capitol police.
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 battle with Hamas while speaking to Israeli soldiers.
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.
US Vetoes UN Resolution to Condemn Violence in Israel–Hamas War
The United States has vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have condemned violence against all civilians in the Israel–Hamas war including “the heinous terrorists attacks by Hamas” against Israel, and would have pushed for humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Biden Says US to Provide $100 Million for Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank
The United States is promising $100 million in humanitarian assistance to help Palestinian people who have been displaced or otherwise affected by conflict in Gaza and the West Bank.
Israel Allows Egypt to Deliver Limited Aid to Gaza
Israel says it will allow Egypt to deliver limited quantities of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Blinken Speaks With Palestinian Authority President to Express Condolences About Hospital Blast
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Tuesday with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “to express profound condolences for the civilian lives lost in the explosion at the Al-Ahli Anglican hospital in Gaza City,” according to a readout from State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.