An Israeli strike in Syria has killed a former personal bodyguard of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday, an official with the Lebanese militant group said, as concerns grow that months of low-level border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah could escalate into a wider regional war.
Heavy Israeli bombardment shook Gaza City on Tuesday as thousands of fleeing Palestinians searched for shelter and medical facilities were forced to shut down because of the latest offensive in the territory’s north.
There was no immediate word on casualties. Families whose relatives were wounded or trapped were calling for ambulances, but first responders could not reach most of the affected districts because of the Israeli operations, said Nebal Farsakh, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Hamas has warned that Israel’s expanding military operations in Gaza City and the displacement of thousands of residents could have “disastrous repercussions” for talks aimed at a cease-fire and the release of Israeli hostages.
CIA Director William Burns met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Tuesday in Cairo to discuss the negotiations, el-Sissi’s office said. An Israeli delegation was heading to the Egyptian capital, Israeli media reported.
Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducted about 250.
Since then, Israeli ground offensives and bombardments have killed more than 38,000 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.
The war has caused massive devastation across the besieged territory and displaced most of its 2.3 million people, often multiple times. Israeli restrictions, fighting and the breakdown of law and order have curtailed humanitarian aid efforts, causing widespread hunger and sparking fears of famine. The top United Nations court has ordered Israel to take steps to protect the Palestinians as it examines genocide allegations against Israeli leaders. Israel strongly denies the charge.
Currently:
— Keys become a link to home for Palestinian families in Gaza displaced repeatedly by Israel.
— Heavy Israeli bombardment in Gaza City forces medical facilities to close as thousands flee.
— A suspected attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targets a ship in the Gulf of Aden.
— Australia appoints special envoy to confront a rise in antisemitism across the country.
— Israeli forces push deeper into Gaza City as Hamas warns that escalation threatens cease-fire talks.
— Rafah is a dusty, rubble-strewn ghost town two months after Israel invaded to root out Hamas.
— Follow news agencies’s coverage of the war in Gaza at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
