Israel snatches border areas from Hamas, death toll crosses 3,000
Israel claimed to have recaptured Gaza's border areas from Hamas as the death toll crossed 3,000 with the war entering Day 5 on Wednesday. The deaths include over 1,000 Israelis and 765 Gazans. Additionally, the Israeli army has claimed to have found around 1,500 bodies of Hamas terrorists within its borders. Israel and Syria also exchanged fire on Tuesday evening, while the former was already engaged in confrontations on the Lebanon frontier.
Hamas threatens hostage executions as Israel bombs Gaza
In retaliation for Israel's bombing of homes in the Gaza Strip, Hamas has threatened to execute one civilian hostage for each bomb dropped without warning. Currently, they hold 150 hostages, including children. Israel has laid a complete siege on Gaza and cut off water, electricity, and fuel supplies to Gaza, which is called the world's largest open-air prison. Several videos on X show buildings in Gaza reduced to rubble by Israel's bombings, resulting in scores of deaths, including children.
Israel's Gaza attack will change Middle East: Netanyahu
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's military operation is just the beginning of a sustained war to destroy Hamas and "change the Middle East." The United Nations (UN) said that around 1.9 lakh people, nearly a tenth of the population, have fled their homes in Gaza. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs spokesperson Jens Laerke said, "Displacement has escalated...across the Gaza strip, reaching more than 1,87,500 people since Saturday. Most are taking shelter in schools."
Joint statement condemns Hamas
Meanwhile, United States (US) President Joe Biden has "redoubled" the support for Israel, Al Jazeera reported. Leaders from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy have voiced their support for Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas's attacks on Monday. While recognizing the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, they criticized Hamas for offering "nothing for the Palestinian people other than more terror and bloodshed."
Woman kidnapped from music festival alive, says mother
Citizens from various countries have been reported killed, abducted, or missing in the ongoing war. These include individuals from Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, Nepal, Panama, Paraguay, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Ukraine. Many of these foreign nationals were attending a music festival in southern Israel when the attacks commenced. A German national, Shani Louk (22), believed to have been abducted by Hamas fighters from the music festival, is alive, Bild reported, quoting her mother.
