Israeli airstrikes killed 50 hostages, says Hamas; US strikes Syria
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed around 50 hostages, Hamas said on Thursday. The terrorist group had taken 224 people as hostages when it launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, killing 1,400 people and triggering a war. Since then, Israel has been bombing Gaza, resulting in more than 7,000 fatalities, as per the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israel has rejected the United Nations (UN) call for a ceasefire, saying it is not warring "with Palestinians but with Hamas."
UN humanitarian coordinator says 'nowhere is safe' in Gaza
While Israel has ordered one million Palestinians in northern Gaza to flee southward, UN humanitarian coordinator for occupied Palestine, Lynne Hastings, said the warnings are ineffective since people have nowhere to go. She added that Israel is targeting escape routes and has cut off essential supplies, saying, "Nowhere is safe in Gaza." Calling Hamas a terrorist organization, Israel's permanent ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said it "does not care about Palestinian people, peace, or dialogue."
US hits Iran-linked targets in Syria
Separately, the US military struck two facilities being used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups in eastern Syria, the Pentagon said on Thursday. It said the airstrikes were in response to the attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria. The US added that the strikes were not coordinated with Israel. In the past week, US and allied troops have been attacked 19 times, in which 21 US forces suffered minor injuries, Reuters reported.
Arab nations issue joint statement condemning all violence against civilians
The US has deployed around 900 troops in West Asia, CNN reported, quoting Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pat Ryder on Thursday. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, and Morocco issued a joint statement on Thursday condemning all acts of violence against civilians. They also denounced the targeting of civilian infrastructure and facilities, along with all violations of international humanitarian law by any party.
