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. Australia said it sent an additional two air force transport jets to the Middle East in case citizens of the country need to be evacuated should hostilities escalate. Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said Wednesday that three aircraft were now in the region. Australia has helped hundreds of Australians leave Israel aboard chartered flights and was working toward helping 79 leave Gaza.
Israel is vowing again to destroy the Hamas terrorist group, rejecting calls for a cease-fire from the U.N. chief, the Palestinians, and other countries, at a high-level U.N. meeting. Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also dismissed calls for “proportionality” in the country’s response to Hamas’ surprise attacks Oct. 7 that killed 1,400 people. More than 5,700 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-backed Gaza Health Ministry. Israel says that the proportionate response to the Oct. 7 massacre is “a total destruction to the last one of the Hamas,” calling the extremist group “the new Nazis.” Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said he came to the meeting “to stop … the ongoing massacres being deliberately and systematically and savagely perpetrated by Israel.”
The New Jersey Air National Guard’s 119 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived in the Middle East on Tuesday, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters. The squadron has F-16 fighter jets, and officials would not say where exactly it went. Ryder also said the U.S. is preparing for an increase in violence, particularly from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran. He added that the U.S. won’t hesitate to take action if needed to protect its forces and interests in the region.
French President Emmanuel Macron proposed on Tuesday that an international coalition fighting the terrorist ISIS group in Iraq and Syria widens its scope to include the fight against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza. While in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Macron expressed that both countries see terrorism as a shared threat. He stated, “France is ready for the international coalition against Daesh in which we are taking part for operations in Iraq and Syria to also fight against Hamas.” He said the fight against Hamas “must be without mercy but not without rules.” Macron also met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, the West Bank, and reiterated his support for a two-state solution.
The World Health Organization (WHO) called Tuesday for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza in order to distribute fuel and essential, life-saving health supplies. The WHO said some health facilities in northern Gaza, including the territory’s largest Shifa hospital, were waiting for supplies and fuel. Among them is the Indonesian hospital, which suffered a brief power outage and was forced to shutter some critical services due to lack of fuel. The WHO said it delivered 34,000 liters of fuel Monday to four major hospitals in southern Gaza and the Palestine Red Crescent, but it was only enough to keep ambulances and critical hospital functions running for a little over 24 hours.
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday that a ceasefire right now would only benefit Hamas. He reiterated that the U.S. will continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself and provide assistance, including humanitarian aid and efforts to evacuate people from Gaza. Pentagon officials revealed Tuesday that U.S. troops at outposts across the Middle East were attacked 13 times within the past week, involving a combination of one-way drones and rockets. Israel’s government screened a 43-minute compilation video showing atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack. Stranded Americans in Israel have criticized the lack of assistance from the U.S. embassy.