Israeli airstrikes on Gaza continue and Israel's defense minister has told troops to be ready for a ground assault on the Palestinian territory, although he has not said when that will begin.More than 1 million Palestinians, roughly half of Gaza's population, have fled homes in the north and Gaza City after Israel told them to evacuate. The airstrikes continued overnight Friday in southern Gaza and ambulances transported the wounded to Gaza's second-largest hospital, Nasser, in Khan Younis. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said that limited humanitarian aid would be allowed into Gaza from Egypt following a request from US President Joe Biden.The war that began on October 7 after Hamas militants stormed into Israel has become the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday that 3,785 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 12,500 others have been wounded. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly in the initial attack. An Israeli military spokesperson said on Thursday that the families of 206 people believed to have been captured by Hamas and taken into Gaza had been notified. Israel has vowed to destroy the militant group. Biden pledges support The United States has reiterated its support for Israel with the government pledging to assist Israel in countering Hamas and facilitating the delivering of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Amid the violence, President Joe Biden pledged unwavering support for Israel's security, “today and always,” while adding that the world “can't ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians" in the besieged Gaza Strip. In an address on Thursday night from the Oval office, hours after returning to Washington from an urgent visit to Israel, Biden drew a distinction between ordinary Palestinians and Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza. He linked the current war in Gaza to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying Hamas and Russian President Vladimir Putin "both want to completely annihilate a neighbouring democracy.” Israel rallies forces The Israeli military has relentlessly attacked Gaza in retaliation for the devastating October 7 Hamas rampage in southern Israel. Even after Israel told Palestinians to evacuate the north of Gaza and flee south, strikes extended across the territory, heightening fears among the territory's 2.3 million people that nowhere was safe. Palestinian militants fired rockets into Israel from Gaza and Lebanon, and tensions flared in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In a fiery speech to Israeli infantry soldiers on the Gaza border, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant urged the forces to “get organized, be ready” to move in. Israel has massed tens of thousands of troops along the border. “Whoever sees Gaza from afar now, will see it from the inside," he said. “It might take a week, a month, two months until we destroy them,” he added, referring to Hamas. Gaza residents struggle for bare necessities Israel's consent for Egypt to let in food, water and medicine provided the first possible opening in its seal of the territory. Many Gaza residents are down to one meal a day and drinking dirty water. Egypt and Israel were still negotiating the entry of fuel for hospitals. Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Hamas has stolen fuel from UN facilities and Israel wants assurances that won't happen. The first trucks of aid were expected to go in Friday. With the Egypt-Gaza border crossing in Rafah closed, the already dire conditions at Gaza's second-largest hospital deteriorated further, said Dr Mohammed Qandeel of Nasser Hospital in the southern town of Khan Younis. Power was shut off in most of the hospital and medical staff were using mobile phones for light. At least 80 wounded civilians and 12 dead flooded into the hospital after witnesses said a strike hit a residential building in Khan Younis. Doctors had no choice but to leave two to die because there were no ventilators, Qandeel said. “We can't save more lives if this keeps happening,” he said. The Gaza Health Ministry pleaded with gas stations to give fuel to hospitals and a UN agency donated some of its last fuel. The agency's donation to Gaza City's Shifa Hospital, the territory's largest, would “keep us going for another few hours,” hospital director Mohammed Abu Selmia said. Al-Ahli Hospital was still recovering from Tuesday's explosion, which remains a point of dispute between Hamas and Israel. Hamas quickly said an Israeli airstrike hit the hospital, which Israel denied. The AP has not independently verified any of the claims or evidence released by the parties. Read The Federal’s stories on the Israel-Hamas war here: The Kannur-Israel connection: Tailors who ‘clothe’ the police Eighth Column| Palestinian literature: Chronicles of exile, resistance, survival and resilience Watch...
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza continue and Israel's defense minister has told troops to be ready for a ground assault on the Palestinian territory, although he has not said when that will begin.More than 1 million Palestinians, roughly half of Gaza's population, have fled homes in the north and Gaza City after Israel told them to evacuate. The airstrikes continued overnight Friday in southern Gaza and ambulances transported the wounded to Gaza's second-largest hospital, Nasser, in Khan Younis. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said that limited humanitarian aid would be allowed into Gaza from Egypt following a request from US President Joe Biden.The war that began on October 7 after Hamas militants stormed into Israel has become the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday that 3,785 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 12,500 others have been wounded. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly in the initial attack. An Israeli military spokesperson said on Thursday that the families of 206 people believed to have been captured by Hamas and taken into Gaza had been notified. Israel has vowed to destroy the militant group. Biden pledges support The United States has reiterated its support for Israel with the government pledging to assist Israel in countering Hamas and facilitating the delivering of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Amid the violence, President Joe Biden pledged unwavering support for Israel's security, “today and always,” while adding that the world “can't ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians" in the besieged Gaza Strip. In an address on Thursday night from the Oval office, hours after returning to Washington from an urgent visit to Israel, Biden drew a distinction between ordinary Palestinians and Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza. He linked the current war in Gaza to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying Hamas and Russian President Vladimir Putin "both want to completely annihilate a neighbouring democracy.” Israel rallies forces The Israeli military has relentlessly attacked Gaza in retaliation for the devastating October 7 Hamas rampage in southern Israel. Even after Israel told Palestinians to evacuate the north of Gaza and flee south, strikes extended across the territory, heightening fears among the territory's 2.3 million people that nowhere was safe. Palestinian militants fired rockets into Israel from Gaza and Lebanon, and tensions flared in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In a fiery speech to Israeli infantry soldiers on the Gaza border, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant urged the forces to “get organized, be ready” to move in. Israel has massed tens of thousands of troops along the border. “Whoever sees Gaza from afar now, will see it from the inside," he said. “It might take a week, a month, two months until we destroy them,” he added, referring to Hamas. Gaza residents struggle for bare necessities Israel's consent for Egypt to let in food, water and medicine provided the first possible opening in its seal of the territory. Many Gaza residents are down to one meal a day and drinking dirty water. Egypt and Israel were still negotiating the entry of fuel for hospitals. Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Hamas has stolen fuel from UN facilities and Israel wants assurances that won't happen. The first trucks of aid were expected to go in Friday. With the Egypt-Gaza border crossing in Rafah closed, the already dire conditions at Gaza's second-largest hospital deteriorated further, said Dr Mohammed Qandeel of Nasser Hospital in the southern town of Khan Younis. Power was shut off in most of the hospital and medical staff were using mobile phones for light. At least 80 wounded civilians and 12 dead flooded into the hospital after witnesses said a strike hit a residential building in Khan Younis. Doctors had no choice but to leave two to die because there were no ventilators, Qandeel said. “We can't save more lives if this keeps happening,” he said. The Gaza Health Ministry pleaded with gas stations to give fuel to hospitals and a UN agency donated some of its last fuel. The agency's donation to Gaza City's Shifa Hospital, the territory's largest, would “keep us going for another few hours,” hospital director Mohammed Abu Selmia said. Al-Ahli Hospital was still recovering from Tuesday's explosion, which remains a point of dispute between Hamas and Israel. Hamas quickly said an Israeli airstrike hit the hospital, which Israel denied. The AP has not independently verified any of the claims or evidence released by the parties. Read The Federal’s stories on the Israel-Hamas war here: The Kannur-Israel connection: Tailors who ‘clothe’ the police Eighth Column| Palestinian literature: Chronicles of exile, resistance, survival and resilience Watch...