Israel prepares for potential ground assault on Gaza

Families remember the Americans killed in the Israel-Hamas war

Nearly a week after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, setting off a war as Israel retaliated with airstrikes over the Gaza Strip, the death toll continues to rise above 1,000. Of the victims, 27 have been identified as U.S. citizens.

Among the U.S. citizens slain was a mother protecting her son, an American Israeli soldier, an idealist daughter and a young man who had recently moved to Salt Lake City, where he was active in the Jewish community.

The White House on Thursday confirmed the number of American deaths.

Read the full story here.

U.N. says operations and staff moved to south Gaza

The United Nations agency that works for relief for Palestinian refugees says it has moved its operations center and staff members to south Gaza after the Israeli military warned people to evacuate northern Gaza within 24 hours.

The agency, UNRWA, said on X, “We urge the Israeli Authorities to protect all civilians” in its shelters, which include schools.

“These UN schools and all other UN shelters are UN facilities. They must be protected at all times and must never come under attack in accordance with international humanitarian law,” the agency said.

IDF confirms order to evacuate northern Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the order to evacuate northern Gaza that was shared by the U.N. and said it included Gaza City, IDF Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said in a video livestream.

He said it was in consideration of noncombatants. “This evacuation is for your own safety,” the warning says, according to Conricus.

The warning says people will be allowed to return to Gaza City only when another announcement is made, he said. 

“The aim here is to minimize the damage to civilians,” he said. He did not announce a ground offensive.

Israel’s leaders have vowed to destroy Hamas after it carried out terrorist attacks in the country that killed at least 1,300 people.

“There are significant combat operations ongoing, and we are preparing for future and the continuance of our combat operations,” Conricus said.

Conricus has previously said that Hamas hides in civilian areas and that airstrikes are against legitimate military targets.

“We are asking them to evacuate so that we will be able continue to strike military targets belonging to Hamas in the Gaza Strip,” he said.

Israel tells U.N. northern Gaza should evacuate within 24 hours, U.N. official says

Israel’s military has told the United Nations to evacuate northern Gaza within 24 hours, a U.N. official confirmed, in what could be a prelude to a ground assault.

U.N. offices “were informed by their liaison officers in the Israeli military that the entire population of Gaza north of Wadi Gaza should relocate to southern Gaza within the next 24 hours,” said Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the U.N. secretary-general.

“This amounts to approximately 1.1 million people” he said in a statement. “The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences.”

The order also applies to U.N. personnel and people sheltering in U.N. facilities, Dujarric said.

Israel’s military has not announced a ground offensive, but 300,000 reservists have been called up and ground forces have been positioned in southern Israel after Hamas terrorist attacks that killed over 1,300 people in Israel.

What’s behind Trump’s lashing out at Netanyahu after Hamas’ attack on Israel

WASHINGTON — Irate in the wake of a brutal assault by Hamas fighters that has pushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden together, Donald Trump is lashing out with pointed criticism of Netanyahu and his government. 

An adviser to Netanyahu said there had been no outreach by Trump in the wake of the attacks. Instead, Trump has leveled repeated broadsides at the leader of a close U.S. ally in remarks on the campaign trail as he seeks a return to the White House.

Read the full story here.

Number of displaced Palestinians rises to 340,000, U.N. says

There are 340,000 displaced Palestinians in Gaza, with 220,000 people sheltering at United Nations schools, the international body said Thursday.

“With no access to provide essential supplies, UN humanitarians warn that Gaza is on the brink of running out of food, water, electricity & critical supplies,” the U.N. said on X.

Some schools have been struck, including two run by the U.N. agency for Palestine refugees, known as UNRWA, where people were sheltering, the U.N. said in a statement.

The U.N.’s previous number of displaced Palestinians was 338,934.

Here’s why any Israeli attempt to rescue the 150 hostages in Gaza will be ‘brutal’ and painful

Rescuing the hostages held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip poses unprecedented and painful choices for Israel, which may have to place a higher priority on a military victory against its adversaries than saving all the hostages, former senior U.S. officials and military officers say.

Israel has a history of daring raids to rescue its citizens or kill its enemies, but the circumstances now are beyond anything the country has faced before. Israel estimates that 150 people are being held prisoner. Any rescue attempt in Gaza would most likely be paired with a major military push to smash Hamas, an operation that could jeopardize the lives of the hostages.  

Hamas has threatened to kill a hostage every time Israel bombs civilian targets in Gaza without warning.

“This is not going to be a John Wayne ending,” said a former federal law enforcement official who worked closely with Israel.

Read the full story here.

As medical supplies dwindle in Gaza, so do hopes

A surgeon at Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital said she had treated so many injured people — most of them children — that she lost count and thinks it’s only a matter of time before she faces a similar fate. 

The entire medical complex has been turned into a trauma hospital, and it has become home for some who have sought refuge in its halls after their homes were destroyed in Israeli airstrikes, Dr. Sara Al Saqqa said in an interview.

The harrowing scene has been worsened by an Israeli blockade that has barred food, water, electricity and other essentials from entering the densely populated city of 2.3 million people, she said. Half of the Palestinians living in Gaza are younger than 19.

“According to the hospital manager of Shifa today, he said that we are running out of everything in a matter of hours,” Al Saqqa said. “So no one knows how much can we handle.”

Al Saqqa said that among the children treated at Al-Shifa, she had seen head injuries, abdomens punctured by shrapnel and injuries from blunt force trauma and falls. 

“All kinds of injuries,” she said. “It’s insane.”  

For every 20 patients the hospital treats, Al Saqqa estimated, only five may survive — though they still might not make it depending on how extensive or complex their injuries are, she said. 

She described treating two babies, one 8 months old and the other 9 months old, who were pulled from the rubble of a building. 

“They’re anonymous,” she said. No one knows “who they are or what family they are belonging to.”

Al Saqqa described Gaza as a “big huge cage” with a massive population trapped beneath relentless bombs. 

Asked about her safety, she said: “It’s just a matter of time, and it will be our turn soon.”

Lester Holt speaks with Blinken about Israel-Hamas war and getting Americans out

U.K. PM Sunak and Netanyahu discuss military package to help in fight against Hamas

United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke on the phone today with Netanyahu and confirmed the authorization of a military package, a spokesperson for Sunak said.

Sunak said the U.K. is sending a Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft, two Royal Navy ships that will patrol the eastern Mediterranean, three Merlin helicopters and a detachment of Royal Marines, the spokesperson said.

The military assistance, which will be deployed in the coming days, is meant to bolster security in the wider region and prevent attempts to escalate the conflict, the spokesperson said.

Sunak said the U.K. stands with Israel “in fighting terror and agreed that Hamas can never again be able to perpetrate atrocities against the Israeli people,” the spokesperson said.

Sunak also said, according to his spokesperson, that it’s important to protect ordinary Palestinians and facilitate humanitarian aid to the region.

He discussed his conversation with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, which touched on “the importance of opening the Rafah crossing to allow for humanitarian access and provide a route for British and other nationals to leave Gaza,” the spokesperson said.

Miami-Dade County increases security in community

Members of Congress at a vigil for Israel on the House steps

Justice Department says it’s working to find missing Americans

The Justice Department is working with the families of missing Americans to help find their loved ones, Attorney General Merrick Garland said today in a statement.

“My heart is with the families whose loved ones have been killed and those whose loved ones are still missing,” he said. “Since these attacks began, the Justice Department has focused on working with the families of missing Americans to locate their loved ones. We continue to work on the return of all missing Americans, including those believed to be taken hostage.”

The Justice Department has offered to help the Israeli government, including through multiple FBI teams that include its Critical Incident Response Group, its Operational Technology Division and its Laboratory Division, Garland said.

“These highly trained hostage rescue specialists and other experts stand ready to advise their Israeli counterparts to help locate and bring home missing U.S. citizens,” the statement said.

World Health Organization says Gaza health care at the brink

The World Health Organization called for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor in the Gaza Strip, warning that the health system in the region is at a breaking point.

Humanitarian supplies can’t be delivered because of the complete blockade to the area, the WHO said in a statement.

“Hospitals have only a few hours of electricity each day as they are forced to ration depleting fuel reserves and rely on generators to sustain the most critical functions,” it said.

There is an “acute shortage of medical supplies,” it said.

Since Saturday, the WHO has documented the death of 11 health workers who were on duty, as well as damage to 19 health facilities and 20 ambulances. 

It said that it is ready to send essential health supplies through its logistics hub in Dubai and that it is working with partners so the supplies can reach the Gaza Strip from the Rafah border crossing.

Vigil planned on the steps of U.S. Capitol tonight

Ali Vitali

Democratic Reps. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz of Florida will host a vigil for Israel on the steps of the Capitol at 6:45 tonight, according to an invitation sent to fellow members and obtained by NBC News. 

“With more than 1,200 Israelis and 25 Americans confirmed dead, 150 taken hostage, and thousands more injured it is essential for Congress to stand in solidarity with Israel. Please join us for a prayer and moment of silence tonight,” the invitation reads, in part.

More than 1,500 dead in Gaza

The death toll in Gaza has risen to 1,537, including 500 children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health — Gaza.

More than 6,200 people have been injured, the ministry said.

Capitol Police to boost presence ahead of ‘Day of Rage’

U.S. Capitol Police will increase the law enforcement presence tomorrow on Capitol Hill in response to social media posts calling for a “Day of Rage.”

Former Hamas leader Khaled Mashal recently called for tomorrow to be a global day of “anger” in support of the recent Hamas attack on Israel, which has left more than 1,300 Israelis dead.

A Capitol Police spokesperson said that “although there are not specific threats toward the Congress tomorrow, we are not taking any chances.”

Photo: Lights out in Gaza

GOP lawmaker: Instead of speaker race, Congress should be focused on war

WASHINGTON — Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, expressed frustration today that House Republicans’ failure to coalesce around a candidate for speaker is taking away from time that could be spent addressing the Israel-Hamas war.

Nunn, who is in his first term, spoke after a closed-door House Republican Conference meeting as members grapple with trying to find a candidate who could be elected speaker in a floor vote.

Nunn, 44, said he spent the morning working with a family in his congressional district — which covers southwest Iowa — that was trying to leave Israel.

“We got them on a private charter aircraft, thanks to our incredible governor,” Nunn said, referring to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Read the full story here.

Columbia’s NYC campus open only to ID holders ahead of protests

Columbia University’s New York City campus is open only to people with university IDs ahead of two protests tonight. Dennis Mitchell, the interim provost, said there had been “substantial efforts” to enlist outside supporters to participate in the campus demonstrations, “creating an unsafe environment for our community.” 

“This is why we have limited our access today to CUID holders only,” he said in a letter to the community. 

A school spokesperson said the university had also made “an accommodation for a limited number of media outlets.”

Two groups, Students for Justice in Palestine and Students Supporting Israel, were expected to hold protests one day after a 24-year-old was allegedly attacked on campus with a stick, according to New York City police.

The student was passing out flyers with the names and pictures of Israelis whom Hamas had supposedly taken as hostages, the student newspaper, The Columbia Daily Spectator, reported. A 19-year-old woman was taken into custody and charged with assault, police said.

Senators want Biden to be ready to send munitions quickly

Julie Tsirkin

A group of Democratic senators led by Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, along with independent Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, is calling on Biden to replenish Iron Dome interceptors and make sure Israel has the munitions it needs.

In a letter to Biden, the senators stressed that Israel may need additional personal protective equipment, assistance to rebuild communities and/or intelligence.

“We ask that the Department of Defense holistically assess its stockpiles of these defense articles — especially Iron Dome interceptors — so that it can quickly transfer these munitions to Israel, upon request,” they wrote.

The group also includes Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Mark Kelly of Arizona and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.

“We further urge the Department of Defense to coordinate ammunition transfers with allies, especially those that have joined American calls of support for Israel.”

The group also urges the Biden administration to “quickly” evaluate near-term Israeli needs and submit a supplemental assistance package request to Congress.

A bipartisan group of senators sent a letter this week asking Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to send Israel two Iron Dome batteries — the systems that launch interceptors to block incoming rockets — as soon as possible.

Photo: Israeli tanks move along the border with Gaza

700 Hollywood stars, producers, others condemn Hamas in letter 

In a strong sign of support of Israel from Hollywood, more than 700 figures from the entertainment industry have signed an open letter to condemn Hamas and demand the safe return of hostages being held in Gaza.

The letter is the first major move from the entertainment industry, as Israel has been under attack.

Released by the nonprofit Creative Community for Peace, the letter has been signed by celebrities and Hollywood leaders including Gal Gadot, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Pine, Mayim Bialik, Liev Schreiber, Amy Schumer, Michael Douglas, Jerry Seinfeld, Debra Messing, Ryan Murphy, Greg Berlanti, Haim Saban, Irving Azoff, Ynon Kreiz, Mark Hamill, Howie Mandel, Bella Thorne, Antoine Fuqua and more.

The open letter calls on the entertainment community at large to speak out forcefully against Hamas, to support Israel, to refrain from sharing misinformation about the war and to do whatever is in their power to urge Hamas terrorists to return hostages back to their families.

Defense secretary headed to Israel

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin plans to travel to Israel tomorrow, a senior defense official said. 

He will meet with Netanyahu, Israel’s defense minister and the Israeli War Cabinet.

They will talk about support for Israel, including additional resources. The first shipment including munitions arrived this week.

E.U. further threatens X over Hamas content

The enforcement arm of the European Union has escalated its confrontation with X, formerly known as Twitter, over terrorist content on the site.

Many accounts on X, including verified accounts viewed by NBC News, have posted official Hamas videos that went viral on the platform since Hamas attacked Israel. The E.U. has designated Hamas a terrorist organization. 

On its website today, the European Commission warned X that the agency “can impose fines for incorrect, incomplete or misleading information in response to a request for information.”

E.U. Commissioner Thierry Breton has previously issued three open letters to tech platforms over concerns they weren’t properly moderating Hamas content: X, Meta and TikTok.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino said yesterday, “There is no place on X for terrorist organizations or violent extremist groups, and we continue to remove such accounts in real time, including proactive efforts.”

Photo: Gaza is on fire

No new or specific threats to NYC or U.S., sources say

An NYPD spokesperson said that there are no new or specific threats to New York City today or tomorrow but that the force is still adding patrols at religious institutions and other locations as a precaution amid antisemitic and anti-Arab rhetoric and incidents around the county.

The spokesperson told NBC News the added patrols will provide reassurance to New Yorkers concerned over “events overseas” or online postings — “many which have little credibility.”

Several law enforcement sources also say there are no new, specific threats to the U.S. in connection with the Israel-Hamas war and regional tensions.

The law enforcement sources say departments across the country are “overestimating” the possibility of disturbances as a precaution. 

Holocaust survivors say, ‘Today, men, women, and children are again targeted as Jews’

Illuminated in white and blue, Holocaust survivors gathered at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., yesterday to honor the Jewish lives lost in the Hamas terrorist attacks. 

“Today, men, women and children are again targeted as Jews. Today, we witness the worst killing of Jews since the Holocaust,” 33 Holocaust survivors who volunteer at the museum wrote in an open letter denouncing the violence. 

“We are also living proof of resilience. That we can rebuild as our fierce determination demonstrates. We must be realistic about the dangers, but we must never despair. That would be a victory for those seeking to destroy us,” the letter continued.

“We promised our loved ones we would never forget and never give up. Especially at this darkest of moments, that remains our promise and our challenge to humanity.”

Former Israeli PM says Hamas is responsible for safety of civilians used as ‘human shields’

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Sky News anchor Kamali Melbourne got into a heated on-air conversation today about if the IDF will ensure that ordinary Palestinian civilians in Gaza are not purposefully placed in the path of violence.

“Are you seriously (going to) keep on asking me about Palestinian civilians? What’s wrong with you? We’re fighting Nazis,” Bennett said on Sky News. “The world can come and bring them anything they want, if you want to give them electricity. I’m not going to feed electricity or water to my enemies.”

Bennett accused Melbourne of using Palestinian narratives in his questions and compared Israel’s current situation to the joint British and American aerial bombing attack on the city of Dresden in World War II, wherein tens of thousands of civilians were killed.

“If Hamas decides to murder its own people by using them as human shields, then Hamas will be responsible for murdering those Palestinians,” he said. “If someone is shooting at your children and hiding behind a human shield, will you shoot back or not?”

Bennett, who served in the IDF’s special forces, said the Israeli military’s first step is to kill all the Hamas militants remaining in Israel. Next, he said the IDF will go on the offensive and eradicate Hamas.

“I’ve never used the term Nazi for anything but the original Nazis; This is the first time I’m using it because it’s the exact same ideology of annihilating Jews just because they are Jews,” he said.

Unverified allegations of ‘beheaded babies’ inflame social media

A series of shocking reports have spread horrific claims of baby beheadings by Hamas militants across social and mainstream media in recent days, adding a particularly incendiary element to an already violent and bitter war. But the reports are still unconfirmed, and in some cases have been retracted. 

The most high-profile claim came last night when Biden said that he had seen photographic evidence of terrorists beheading children. The White House later clarified that Biden was referring to news reports about beheadings, which have not included or referred to photographic evidence.

Photos have been published by Hamas showing beheaded soldiers, while the X account belonging to Netanyahu posted pictures today of babies killed and burned by Hamas. No photo evidence had been made public as of this afternoon corroborating claims that babies had been beheaded. 

Unverified and false information spreads quickly on social media, particularly around breaking news events, reaching even larger audiences when it is shared by mainstream news outlets, politicians and people with large followings. Follow-ups that retract or add context are less likely to be repeated or reach the same audience.

Biden’s statement followed a series of news reports and comments from Israeli officials, most of which have since been softened or walked back entirely. Easily debunked misinformation like fake press releases have circulated widely since the start of the war, but such stories often die down quickly once proven false. The claims about beheadings, difficult to verify or debunk, have continued to spread in part due to the lack of clarity.

Read the full story here.

Knesset approves formation of emergency government

The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, approved the formation of an emergency government today. 

Of the 120 seats, 66 members voted in favor of forming the emergency government, and four against, according to the Knesset’s website. 

Netanyahu and centrist opposition party leader Benny Gantz agreed to form an emergency united government due to the war.

In remarks last night, Netanyahu said: “The emergency government that we are fitting today out of national responsibility conveys a message of enormous power to the world and as well here in our country. We are all standing in this battle together.”

In his speech, Netanyahu compared Oct. 7 — the day of the Hamas incursion — as “the most horrifying day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.” 

Photos: French police crack down on pro-Palestinian protest

Police in Toulouse responded to an unauthorized demonstration in support of Palestinians today. France has banned pro-Palestinian protests in the wake of Hamas’ terror attacks in Israel.

Father and uncle say kidnapped festivalgoer has been denied vital medication

The father and uncle of 22-year-old Omer Wenkert, who was abducted by Hamas from an outdoor music festival Saturday, said on MSNBC that Omer has been denied medication for his chronic colitis, without which he cannot survive.

Omer Wenkert’s father, Shai Wenkert, and uncle Ricardo Grichener said they tried to send his medicines through the Red Cross, which appealed to Hamas, but the militant group denied the request.

Article 55 of the Geneva Convention, which outlines international humanitarian laws during wartime, stipulates that occupying powers have a duty to bring food and medical supplies to the population. Grichener said that convention has been broken by Hamas.

Shai Wenkert found out his son had been kidnapped through a video shared by Hamas. In the video, his son is seen stripped and tied up in the back of a moving pickup truck.

“We are strong and we are waiting for him to come back home alive,” he said.

When Omer Wenkert was initially fleeing the festival, Shai Wenkert said he tried to rescue his son from a shelter where he knew he was hiding, but he was too late. By the time he arrived, Omer was gone and a friend of his who was hiding in the same shelter had been killed. Shai Wenkert and Grichener attended the funeral today.

Britain sending military assistance to Israel

Britain will deploy military assistance to the Eastern Mediterranean to support Israel and “reinforce regional stability,” the prime minister’s office announced today.

It will send Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft to begin patrols tomorrow to “help partners track emerging threats to regional security.” A Royal Navy task group will also deploy to the Eastern Mediterranean in coming days to “help mitigate humanitarian crisis.”

The military assistance will also track threats to regional stability “such as the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups.”

“We must be unequivocal in making sure the types of horrific scenes we have seen this week will not be repeated. Alongside our allies, the deployment of our world class military will support efforts to ensure regional stability and prevent further escalation,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. 

‘Hamas continues to use civilians as human shields’: Blinken

Blinken said today that a major issue in the ongoing conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip is the targeting of civilians.

“On the humanitarian situation in Gaza, I think it’s first important to remember the fundamental issue that makes this complicated. Hamas continues to use civilians as human shields,” he said. “Civilians should not be used in any way as the targets of military operations. They are not the target of Israel’s operations,” he said. 

Still, thousands of civilians have died on both sides of the conflict and residential towers in Gaza have been leveled in the past few days of Israeli airstrikes.

In his talk with Netanyahu earlier in the day, they covered ways to address the humanitarian needs of the people in Gaza and the possibilities of safe passage for civilians who want to leave Gaza.  

Photos: Israeli tanks advance near the border with Gaza

Death toll mounts to more than 2,700

As of today, the Israel-Hamas conflict has led to more than 2,700 fatalities.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza today reported 1,417 deaths and more than 6,200 injured. Meanwhile, the death toll in the West Bank is at 31 with 180 injured, according to the Health Ministry there. 

Israel has reported at least 1,300 killed and 3,300 wounded, Israeli Public Broadcaster Kan reported this evening local time.

CAIR objects to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s support for Israel

An advocacy group for American Muslims lashed out at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro today over his support of Israel and condemnation of Hamas.

The Philadelphia and Pittsburgh chapters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said Shapiro has shown “disregard for his Palestinian-American constituents who have lost family members or are concerned for their safety due to Israel’s indiscriminate attacks against civilian areas” in Gaza.

“Since last weekend, you have not even once publicly recognized the inhumane treatment of civilians, systematic occupation and apartheid, and dehumanization by Israel against civilian Muslim, Christian, Druze Palestinians,” according to the organization’s open letter to Shapiro. “Not only did you fail to recognize the structural root causes of the conflict, you chose to intentionally ignore the civilian loss of life in Gaza.”

In recent official statements from Shapiro, the governor condemned “the terrorist organization Hamas and their enablers” and said that there’s “no moral equivalency between Hamas —  a foreign terrorist organization as designated by the United States — and Israel, the only pluralistic functioning democracy in the Middle East.”

“We are most troubled by Gov. Shapiro not recognizing the now thousands of Palestinian civilians killed,” said Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu, executive director of CAIR’s Philadelphia chapter.

Photos: People rally for Palestinians

27 Americans killed in Israel-Hamas war, White House says

The White House now says 27 Americans have been killed so far in the Israel-Hamas war that erupted Saturday.

Another 14 Americans remain unaccounted for, John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said today.

“We’re obviously doing everything we can to support and inform the families,” he said.

Earlier, officials said 25 U.S. citizens were killed in the conflict.

Conservatives stoke fears of a Hamas attack in the U.S. despite no credible threat, according to FBI

The FBI has said it has no information indicating a credible terrorist threat against the United States, but social media pundits who have been raising the alarm for days aren’t backing down. 

Conservative social media influencers have been filling platforms such as X and Truth Social with speculation not backed by any evidence that attacks on civilians in Israel would soon be followed by similar attacks in major U.S. cities and that people should begin preparing — including by avoiding cities and purchasing firearms. 

The speculation with no evidence to support it has come from former President Donald Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr. and a host of right-wing commentators with big followings who issued vague warnings about imminent invasions or attacks. Many of the posts tie in a hodgepodge of Republican Party talking points on subjects such as gun rights, immigration from Asia, crime and Iran policy. 

The posts show how quickly the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has upended online political debate thousands of miles away, and how it’s being used by political figures to push certain agendas and issues. 

Read the full story here.

Photos: Israeli volunteers prepare aid packages

6 days and no updates: Israeli mother demands list of missing, killed or kidnapped

It’s been six days since Keren Scharf Schem has heard any news from her daughter, Mia Schem, 21, who attended the Supernova music festival Friday night and never returned home.

Scharf Schem and her sister have themselves undertaken efforts to locate Schem, who is a French citizen, after having no contact with Israeli officials. They have spent days pouring through social media and contacting Schem’s friends in hopes of retracing the young woman’s steps before her phone stopped working. 

Scharf Schem said she is doing the work that Israel, France and allied nations should be doing.

“I know my government is in chaos but it doesn’t comfort me,” Scharf Schem said today.  “I’m begging, begging, the world, the United Nations, to ask for a list of all the soldiers and citizens captured or missing. I demand it.” 

According to Schem’s friend, she last reached out to festival organizers Saturday morning pleading for help as the surprise attack unfolded around her, Scharf Schem said. She believes her daughter was shot either in the shoulder or leg, but she doesn’t know if Schem is alive, dead or in the hands of Hamas. 

“I sit here and I really imagine my daughter coming back to my arms,” Scharf Schem said through a shaky voice. 

“All the information we got is from work we’re doing ourselves. We have no help,” Scharf Schem added of the sleuthing she and her sister have undertaken. “We know nothing.”  

U.S. and Qatar agree not to release Iran’s $6B

WASHINGTON — The U.S. and Qatari governments have agreed to block Iran from accessing any of the $6 billion it gained access to as part of a prisoner swap deal between the Biden administration and Tehran last month, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told House Democrats today, according to three sources familiar with his remarks, two of whom were in the room.

The decision comes as the administration faced bipartisan pressure to block Iran’s access to the money and as U.S. officials continue to investigate whether Iran had any direct involvement in Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel. The Biden administration has said the $6 billion in unfrozen Iranian oil assets could be used by Tehran only for humanitarian assistance.

Read the full story here

Netanyahu’s office tweets graphic photos described as babies killed by Hamas

Netanyahu’s office shared today three photos on X that it described as babies killed by Hamas. 

“These are horrifying photos of babies murdered and burned by the Hamas monsters,” the post said. “Hamas is inhuman. Hamas is ISIS.”

Earlier in the day, Blinken acknowledged in a news conference that he was shown the photographs and videos from the Israeli government.

“It’s hard to find the right words. It’s beyond what anyone would ever want to imagine, much less actually see and God forbid experience. A baby, an infant riddled with bullets. Soldiers beheaded. Young people burned alive in their cars or in their hideaway rooms,” he said.

Photos: Blinken meets with Israelis in Tel Aviv

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited a donation center for victims of the Hamas terror attacks in Tel Aviv today.

German cities ban pro-Palestinian rallies

Some German cities are banning pro-Palestinian rallies out of caution against Hamas sympathizers. 

In Berlin, police banned a “Solidarity with the Civilian Population in the Gaza Strip” gathering scheduled for today at Brandenburg Gate.

Police tweeted that all alternative events have also been canceled through Oct. 18 by the assembly authority, “especially because meeting participants will most likely sympathize with Hamas.”

German city-state Bremen also banned a pro-Palestinian demonstration slated for tomorrow, stating in a news release that gatherings with content related to Hamas or its attacks on Israel are prohibited. The ban also applies to “spontaneous or urgent demonstrations.”

Officials said that the ban is in place because of a “global call from Hamas to the Arab and Muslim world” for protests and “asking their followers to ‘be prepared to sacrifice.'”

The terrorists’ call makes the ban “absolutely necessary despite the great importance of freedom of assembly,” Bremen officials said.

U.S. in talks with Egypt, Israel over safe passage for some 600 Palestinian Americans in Gaza

Abigail Williams

There is a community of 500 to 600 Palestinian Americans in Gaza, a senior U.S. official said. 

While not all of them want to leave the Strip — home to 2.3 million Palestinians within roughly 140 square miles — the U.S. is having discussions with the governments of Israel and Egypt about arrangements for safe passage for those who do. 

The official noted these are “wartime conditions” and those discussions are taking place between Washington and the Egyptian government, as well as through the U.S. Embassy on the ground. 

Photos: Rally for Israel in Romania

Hundreds gathered today in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, to show their solidarity for Israel.

Parking lot transformed into ‘underground hospital’ in Tel Aviv

TEL AVIV — A parking lot is being transformed into an “underground hospital” today, with doctors, nurses and other hospital staffers working to move as many as 700 patients at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center below ground level.

Ronni Gamzu, CEO of the medical center, said the decision to move patients underground to prepare “for the possibility of an intense attack in Tel Aviv” was made Saturday, the day Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on Israel. “I understood the scenario, the possible scenarios,” Gamzu said. The contingency plan, however, was drafted around 12 years ago, he said — this is just the first time they’ve had to put it into action.

Dr. Amy Isenberg, a resident physician in the internal medicine ward, said the move comes as a relief. Up until now, when sirens warning of possible air attacks sound, her ward, on the third floor, has had to leave bedbound patients upstairs, with only hospital workers and patients who are able to walk typically making their way to shelter spaces.

“It feels like that’s the way it needs to be done, but it feels a little selfish,” she said. “Being here is just safer and it allows us to go on with the day without those considerations,” she said.

‘We don’t know what to do’: Israeli uncle speaks about missing niece

E.U. warns TikTok about ‘illegal’ Hamas terror content

European Union Commissioner Thierry Breton has published a confrontational open letter to TikTok, warning that it’s being used to spread Hamas terrorist videos in violation of E.U. law.

The E.U. passed strict new regulations earlier this year, which include potential penalties for the world’s largest tech companies if they allow users to share content from designated terror groups like Hamas.

“I remind you that following the opening of an investigation and a finding on non-compliance, penalties can be imposed,” Breton wrote.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Breton previously published a similar letter to X, formerly known as Twitter, and a less confrontational one to Facebook.

Gazan student shares video showing life under fire

‘It’s kind of a miracle,’ says Israeli woman rescued from rubble in Tel Aviv

TEL AVIV — Marina Izmailov was at home in her apartment building in Tel Aviv on Saturday when sirens began to sound, warning of a possible air attack.

Moments later, she was knocked unconscious by a blast that leveled her entire building, turning her home into rubble.

“It’s kind of a miracle, said Izmailov, 34, who, days later, still had blood on her hand from the incident, along with a black eye and broken bones in her hip and ankle. “It’s something that I can’t take for granted, that I’m safe.”

Despite the devastation brought to her home and country, Izmailov said she doesn’t have any anger about the incident. “I’m just very shocked. … I could be angry about what’s happened to me, but it’s so much bigger than that.”

Photos: Argentina evacuates its citizens from Israel

Argentine citizens boarded an Argentine Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft bound for Mario de Bernardi Air Base near Rome at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv today.

Israeli military chief admits ‘IDF failed to keep nation secure’

Herzi Halevi, the Israeli military chief of staff, admitted to security failures in the brutal Hamas incursion Saturday.

“IDF is responsible for the security of our nation and its citizens, and we failed to do so on Saturday morning in the Gaza Envelope area,” he said. “We will look into it, we will investigate, but now it is time for war.”

Halevi condemned the acts of the “murderous terrorists” who targeted children and women, while vowing to “disassemble” Hamas.

“IDF, under my command, understands the magnitude of this time, and the magnitude of the mission that lays on our shoulders,” he added.

Palestinian President Abbas ‘rejects’ civilian killings and capture of hostages

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for peace today, denouncing the killing of civilians and pleading for an immediate end to the aggression against the Palestinian people. 

“We reject the practices of killing civilians or abusing them on both sides because they contravene morals, religion and international law,” he said, according to the WAFA News Agency, a Palestinian outlet. He called for the release of civilians and prisoners.

Abbas met with King Abdullah II of Jordan today in Amman where they discussed the need for humanitarian and medical aid, as well as water and electricity in the Gaza Strip. 

Abbas said Palestinians are still steadfast in their goals of freedom and independence, “leading to ending the occupation and embodying the independence of our Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the 1967 borders.” 

Abbas is set to meet with Blinken tomorrow in Amman, Jordan. 

Photos: Israelis sign up to carry weapons

At Ayyelet HaShahar, a kibbutz along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, Israelis signed up at a weapons distribution point.

German foreign minister to visit Israel tomorrow

Andy Eckardt

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will travel to Israel tomorrow for a “solidarity visit,” the ministry confirmed.

Details of the visit were not immediately available.

Music festival hostage turns 26

Noa Argamani — an Israeli whose kidnapping at the Supernova Music Festival on Saturday has gone viral — turned 26 today, according to her friends and family.

In a post on Instagram, Argamani’s family and friends pleaded for her release.

“Our hearts are broken and we await her safe return,” the post reads. “We have a duty to our loved ones who have been abducted to share and spread light on this situation as much as possible in hopes for their safe return.”

“Our beautiful smiling girl,” her family and friends continued. “We will never stop fighting until you smile again with us.”

Argamani’s boyfriend, Avinatan Or, is also presumed to have been kidnapped Saturday.

Gazans say Israeli plane dropped flyers telling them to flee neighborhood

The Israeli military dropped leaflets in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza today telling Palestinians to flee, according to someone in the area who sent a photo of the flyer to NBC News.

The leaflet says that its from the Israel Defense Forces and that Hamas operations have prompted the army to “move against it in your areas of residence,” a translation said.

“For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and go to known shelter centers,” the translation said. “The Israeli army is not interested in harming you or your family members. Anyone who approaches Hamas terrorists or their facilities will put their lives in danger.”

Beit Lahia is home to roughly 62,000 Palestinians, according to population projections by Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The borders to and from Gaza are closed, leaving Palestinians with few options as airstrikes continue days into the war.

Palestinians plead for humanitarian aid amid fears of ongoing airstrikes and ‘starvation’ 

Palestinians under siege in Gaza told NBC News today that “humanitarian aid is needed more than anytime before” as they face an onslaught of Israeli airstrikes and many are running out of basic necessities to survive. 

“There is no water. There is no food, no electricity,” Amjad Shabat, 32, told NBC News over WhatsApp. Shabat said she is sheltering with her family, including her husband and 2-year-old daughter, with the only food remaining is some stored chickpeas that “won’t last longer than a day.”

Shabat said families are trapped in their homes with “no safe places to go to” as the Israeli military is “bombing different parts at different times.”

“The airstrikes did not stop for a moment,” she said. “People do not know how to evacuate their houses.”

She said that sometimes, the Israeli military sends messages telling people to evacuate certain blocks, “other times they don’t, they only demolish houses over the heads of the people. There are no safe places.”

Niveen Almadhoun, 40, in Jabalia is sheltering at her apartment with about two dozen other family members, including seven children. 

“We are running out of food and water, electricity,” she said. “We don’t know what we will do. We are trying to calm the children.”

Almadhoun said many Palestinians are trapped inside Gaza and can’t escape, while aid is also unable to come in.

“We can’t travel. And no one from outside can enter,” Almadhoun said. “We see blood everywhere. We are not understanding what is happening,” she said, adding that she is afraid of the airstrikes, “afraid to lose my daughter or my husband” or her mother, afraid to lose “your leg, your eye. Everyone feels afraid.”

Almadhoun said she and her brother lost about 15 extended family members so far during the Israeli attacks on Gaza. That family had already lost some members in the conflict a few years ago.

“All of them are dead now,” she said.

“We are running from one place to another place, one place to another place,” she said. “We want to be safe. We don’t want food. We don’t want money. We want just to feel that we are safe.”

Blinken shares an emotional moment with music festival survivor

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with one of the survivors of the Supernova Music Festival, where Israeli authorities said 260 people were killed, during his visit to Israel on Thursday.

“We went through horror,” dual U.S.-Israeli citizen Lior Gelbaum told Blinken. “I am 24, and I never imagined something like this would happen ever at a dance and music festival.”

Gelbaum and her boyfriend, Klil, survived the massacre Saturday and are now volunteering at a donation center. 

“We were saved by a miracle,” an emotional Gelbaum said. “Thank you for being here, it’s really important.”

Drexel University investigating possible hate incident in Jewish student’s dorm

Drexel University is investigating a “distressing incident” in a Jewish student’s residence hall dorm room amid heightened tensions due to the Israel-Hamas war.

In a statement yesterday, University President John Fry asked for “mutual respect” in discourse and protests surrounding the conflict.

“Unfortunately, we were made aware of a distressing situation that included destruction inside one of our residence halls. Thankfully, no one was injured,” he said. The school is investigating to determine if bias or hate played a role in the incident. Britt Faulstick, executive director of news and media relations at Drexel, said today: “The university is aware and investigating the incident.”  

Drone video reveals the huge scale of destruction in Gaza City caused by Israeli bombardments

Photos: Palestinians search for survivors in refugee camps

Israeli family living ‘double tragedy’ after son goes missing, home destroyed in Hamas attack

Sagui Dekel-Chen was part of a group of young men who tried to defend their home against Hamas when the militants raided Nir Oz, a kibbutz near the Gaza Strip, early Saturday. 

All communication with him stopped a few hours later, and there has been no trace of him since.

Sagui, a 35-year-old father of two who is also an American citizen, is considered missing. While no evidence has yet emerged that he was taken hostage by Hamas, his father, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, told NBC News he fears this is the case.

While dealing with a complete lack of information from both Israeli and American authorities about what could have happened to his son, Dekel-Chen said the the family is also mourning the loss of their home — the kibbutz has been rendered uninhabitable. 

“We are living with a double tragedy,” Dekel-Chen said. “What we believe to be the captivity, in my case of a son, but again, brothers, sisters, parents, children — they have also been taken, and the total physical destruction of our community and of our home. We don’t have anywhere to go home to.”

American troops not being sent for hostages, White House says

There are currently no plans to send American soldiers to Israel for hostage rescue operations, Jon Finer, deputy national security adviser, told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“We are not contemplating U.S. boots on the ground,” Finer said.

America experts are involved in advising Israelis on how to proceed, however, Finer noted. There are an estimated 100 to 150 people currently being held hostage by Hamas, officials have said, including missing American citizens.

Syrian airports hit by Israeli airstrikes, state media reports

Aerial attacks hit two different Syrian airports in Aleppo and Damascus today, according to Syrian Arab News Agency, a state media site.

The site blamed Israel for the strikes, which it said had damaged the landing strips at both airports and put them out of service, accusing Israel of trying to divert attention from its airstrikes on Gaza.

Israel has hit the airports in the past, but these are the first strikes reported since the Hamas attack.

Rocket strikes and sirens in a southern Israeli town

SDEROT, Israel — Warning sirens blared as we arrived at this southern Israeli town near the Gaza border around midday local time, followed quickly by incoming rocket fire in a primarily residential area of the town.

Rockets from Gaza are striking Sderot periodically, with few civilians on the streets but a large presence of Israeli police and military, many on patrol. There is a constant tempo of outgoing fire from large Israeli weaponry, and small arms fire can also be heard in the distance.

From our vantage point atop a hill overlooking northern Gaza, strikes can be seen steadily hitting the strip. The skyline of Gaza City now is barely visible, through smoke and dust plumes.

Democratic lawmaker cuts ties with prominent left-wing group over pro-Palestinian rally

WASHINGTON — Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., announced yesterday that he is renouncing his membership in the Democratic Socialists of America after the left-wing group promoted a pro-Palestinian rally a day after Hamas’ deadly terrorist attack on Israel.

In a statement, Thanedar, who is in his first term, cited what he called a “hate-filled and antisemitic rally in New York City,” which other progressives in Congress have also condemned.

Read the full story here

‘We’re not Hamas,’ Gaza residents say as death toll rises

GAZA CITY, Gaza — After days of devastating Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, residents of the besieged enclave say there is no way to escape death. 

Hamas controls the Palestinian enclave, where 2.2 million people live in about 140 square miles — making it one of the most densely populated places in the world. 

Schools have been flattened, walls blown off houses and entire families buried under tons of concrete. Residents are scrambling to rescue relatives as smoke and dust from the relentless bombing make it difficult to breathe. 

“It’s all collateral damage. We are all civilians, normal doctors, nurses, teachers, students. We’re not Hamas,” Mohamed Mughisib, a Palestinian doctor and a deputy coordinator with Doctors Without Borders, said in a telephone interview from Gaza. 

“It’s the children who are dying,” he said.

Read the full story here.

Palestinian health system ‘has begun to collapse,’ ministry says

“The health system has begun to collapse,” the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement today.

The number of injured Palestinians in Gaza — more than 6,000 people — currently exceeds the number of available operating rooms and beds, it said. Expanded intensive care units have already been filled.

“The number of injured people is greater than the hospitals’ clinical capabilities, even after they were expanded and the injured were placed in the corridors,” the ministry said.

Latino Jews grieve, worry as attack in Israel puts close family ties in focus

Fernando Russek, 51, a Jewish resident of south Texas who was born in Mexico, spoke with urgency and strength about “people on the side of good” standing with Israel and speaking out against the attack by Hamas. 

But he couldn’t maintain the bravado as he disclosed that his daughter is fighting in the war because she is a captain in the Israeli army and that his brother, a reservist, was reactivated two weeks before he was to have opened a restaurant in Israel. 

“I am like a father — and like any brother,” Russek said when he was asked how he was coping.

The gruesome violence that unfolded when Hamas staged a surprise attack along the Gaza border in Israel and the current state of war have put into focus the Latino Jewish diaspora and the interconnected nature of families, friends and cross-cultural ties among the U.S., Latin America and Israel. 

“There’s literally thousands of Latinos who are Jewish,” said Rabbi Peter Tarlow, executive director of the Center for Latino-Jewish Relations, who’s based in College Station, Texas. “Like anyone else in the Jewish community, this is personal. You know, it hits home.”

Read the full story here.

Blinken says at least 25 American killed in attack by Hamas

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today that the number of Americans killed in Hamas’ attack on Israel has grown to at least 25.

“Tragically, the number of innocent lives claimed by Hamas’ heinous attacks continues to rise. Among those, at least 25 American citizens were killed,” he said.

Speaking at press conference in Tel Aviv with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he reiterated America’s support for Israel’s defense, through supplying ammunition, aircraft and other aid.

“As Israel’s defense needs evolve, we will meet with Congress to make sure those needs are met,” he said. “There is no excuse, there is no justification for these atrocities. This is and this must be a moment for moral clarity.”

Blinken condemned the loss of innocent lives. “Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people and does not stand for the future,” he said. “They have one agenda — to kill Jews.”

“President Biden was absolutely correct in calling this sheer evil,” Netanyahu said. “Hamas is ISIS and just as ISIS was crushed, so too will Hamas be crushed. And Hamas should be treated just as ISIS was treated.”

Contradictory reports about Egypt’s Rafah crossing from besieged Gaza

There were contradictory reports today about whether the only border crossing out of the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel is open amid a complete blockade of the enclave.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip is “open for business” and “has not been closed at any stage since the beginning of the current crisis, except that its basic facilities on the Palestinian side were destroyed.”

“As a result of the repeated Israeli bombing, it prevents them from carrying out work normally,” the ministry said, calling on Israel to avoid targeting the Palestinian side of the crossing to keep this “lifeline” for Gaza residents available.

But Embassy of Palestine representative at the Rafah crossing, Kamal Al Khatib, told NBC News today that the border has been closed since Oct. 8 when the Gazan side of the border was first bombed by Israel.

There have been conflicting reports about whether the crossing has been operating since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. On Tuesday, the Israeli military revised a recommendation by one of its spokespeople that Palestinians fleeing its airstrikes in Gaza head to Egypt.

IDF preparing for a potential ground assault

Israel is preparing for a possible ground operation in Gaza, Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman, told reporters today.

He said forces “are preparing for a ground maneuver if decided,” but that political leaders have not yet ordered one

NBC News correspondents have previously seen Israeli tanks lined up at the border with Gaza, indicating the potential for a ground assault.

Gaza is home to more than 2 million Palestinians, half of whom are children. The densely populated strip would make a ground assault difficult and likely increase casualties.

Shrapnel damage after strike in Sderot, Israel

Max Butterworth

Israeli soldiers inspect shrapnel damage on a wall after a rocket strike in the southern border city of Sderot today.

For more coverage on the Israel-Hamas war, read yesterday’s live blog here.

Family of missing American mom and teenager fear they have been kidnapped

The family of a missing American mom and her teenage daughter, told NBC News’ Lester Holt yesterday that they feared they had been kidnapped by Hamas militants and were doing “everything in our power” to bring her home safely. 

Seventeen-year-old Natalie Ranaan’s aunt Saray Cohen said that she last heard from her shortly after midday Saturday. Natalie, who had just graduated high school in Chicago, told her via text message that they were “hearing shooting out of their apartment. And she said that the other room out of the security room was bombed,” Cohen added. 

Ranaan’s grandmother Tamar Levitan said she was later accompanied by five soldiers when she went round to the apartment where Natalie was staying with her mother, Judith. “I saw the front door open and the door to the backyard was broken. It’s glass door. So they broke it and I think from there they came into the house,” she said.     

“We want the U.S. to help us find its citizens Judith and Natalie,” Cohen added.

Water situation in Gaza becoming more dire, U.N. says

As the complete blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel continues for its fourth day today, the United Nations is sounding the alarm about water shortages for the enclave’s more than 2 million residents.

Israel said Monday that water was on of the resources it was cutting off for the Gaza Strip, along with fuel, food and electricity.

The U.N. said yesterday there was already a “severe shortage” of drinking water affecting more than 650,000 people. 

Israeli airstrikes have also damaged seven facilities that had been providing water and sanitation services to more than 1.1 million people, more than half of Gaza’s estimated population, the U.N. said. In some areas, sewage and solid waste are now accumulating in the streets, posing a health hazard, the report added.

Palestinian President Abbas to meet Blinken tomorrow, official says

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet Blinken tomorrow, a Palestinian official said early today.

Blinken landed in Tel Aviv this morning and is meeting with Israeli senior officials, including Netanyahu.

Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, also said on X that Abbas will meet with Jordanian King Abdullah in Amman today.

Israeli troops, tanks gather along the Lebanese border

4 Palestinian medics killed in Gaza, Red Crescent says

The Red Crescent confirmed that four of its Palestinian ambulances workers died while working in Gaza yesterday.

Palestine Red Crescent Society identified the four workers today as Hatem Awad, Khalil Al-Sharif, Yousry Al-Masry and Ahmed Dahman, according to a translated post on X. The post also released images of fellow medics crying over their bodies outside Al-Shifa Hospital.

A video of the medics being carried into the hospital by distraught Palestinians circulated social media yesterday and appears to match the images shared by the Red Crescent.

“The IFRC reiterates the call on all parties to respect their legal obligations under international humanitarian law,” the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a statement. “This is non-negotiable. Civilians, healthcare workers, health facilities and civilian infrastructure must be respected and protected at all times.”

No way out for U.N. agency director’s family after border crossing bombed

Hani Almadoun’s entire family is in Gaza, and he was watching from afar the neighborhoods he knows very well, being destroyed beyond recognition from the constant Israeli airstrikes.

Almadoun, who’s the director of philanthropy for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, said, “They cannot leave if they wanted to,” as airstrikes pound the only border crossing out between Gaza and Egypt.

“We’ve not been able to establish contact with my parents,” he said. “There’s a lot of death and airstrikes around them.”

Iranian foreign minister to do Middle East tour, including Lebanon

Hossein Amir Abdullahian, Iran’s foreign minister, will be doing a tour of the region that includes Lebanon “in light of the current events,” according to an X post by Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon.

Iran is a known supporter of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has been exchanging fire sporadically across the border with Israel since Hamas’ attack Saturday.

Gaza death rises to 1,354; more than 330,000 displaced

Gaza’s Health Ministry has once again revised its death toll to 1,354, up from 1,203 reported this morning. It said more than 6,000 are injured as Gaza’s hospitals are struggling to provide help to all those who need it amid Israel’s complete blockade and airstrikes.

The United Nations said the number of those displaced in Gaza has also grown and now stands at 338,934.

Animals left to fend for themselves in Gaza

Max Butterworth

A horse eats from a dumpster along a street filled with garbage and rubble in Gaza City today.

Gaza hospitals face a ‘tsunami of wounded’ as supplies and power run out

GAZA CITY, Gaza — After Hamas’ terror attack, Israeli airstrikes have reduced entire neighborhoods in Gaza, including hospitals, to soot. The remaining clinics and emergency units have been operating without power and supplies.

“Our hospitals are flooded with patients and injured people, and we have to deal with casualties that are arriving on a daily basis at our emergency department,” Marwan Abu Seeds, deputy director of the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, said as ambulances brought in one casualty after another. 

Officials say at least 1,100 people have died in Gaza in bombings since the attack. Now, as Israel’s forces prepare for a possible ground invasion, doctors and aid workers say the health care system in Gaza is about to collapse.

“The situation is really catastrophic,” said Sarah Chateau, Paris-based desk manager for Doctors Without Borders, which has 300 staff members in Gaza. “We barely can operate in Gaza. The bombing is almost nonstop.”

Read the full story here.

Blinken is meeting with Israeli PM

Blinken is meeting with Netanyahu, government ministers and officials as part of his visit today to show Washington’s solidarity with Israel.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office said Blinken is also set to meet with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and centrist opposition party leader Benny Gantz, with whom Netanyahu formed an emergency unity government yesterday.

97 families of hostages have been notified

As of this morning, 97 families have been informed of their loved ones being taken hostage by Hamas, according to IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari.

Officials have estimated that between 100 and 150 people have been kidnapped by Hamas.

Residents of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip recover airstrike’s victims and search for loved ones

Two Palestinians in West Bank killed by settlers, Palestinian Health Ministry says

Two Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers near the town of Qusra in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Authority said today.

Witnesses told Reuters that the father and son were shot when settlers opened fire at the funeral of four Palestinians who were killed by armed settlers and Israeli soldiers in Qusra, near the northern city of Nablus, yesterday.

NBC News could not verify the reports.

X issues formal response to accusations of platform’s disinformation

Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, issued a formal response to European authorities on what the platform is doing to mitigate “illegal content and disinformation” following the break out of war.

Thierry Breton, European commissioner in charge of the internal market of the European Union, sent a letter to Elon Musk on Tuesday implying X may be subject to investigation for violations of the E.U.’s Digital Services Act.

Community notes, which are user-submitted addendums to posts, appear to be where the platform is largely focusing its efforts to add “context to a wide range of topics related to the conflict,” according to the letter.

“We recently launched a major acceleration in the speed in which notes appear,” Yaccarino wrote.

Researchers found a propaganda network of 67 accounts coordinating to spread false, inflammatory content related to the Israel-Hamas war. At least one of them was a verified user account, NBC reported Monday.

Israeli forces preparing ground offensive against Hamas

Guns distributed to Israelis near Lebanon border

Max Butterworth

Israelis have been receiving weapons at a distribution point for people allowed to carry arms, at the Ayyelet HaShahar Kibbutz, in northern Israel, near the Lebanese border today.

Israel normally has tight gun restrictions and civilians are not normally allowed to carry firearms, but this week residents in some Israeli towns have been told they will be able to. Some 10,000 people applied for a license in the southern town of Sderot, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said yesterday.

Gaza death toll passes 1,200 ahead of expected Israeli ground offensive

Gaza’s Health Ministry said this morning that 1,203 people were killed and another 5,763 injured since the bloody incursion of Hamas into Israel this weekend and retaliatory airstrikes on the enclave by Israeli forces.

Taiwan sets up task force to study Israel-Hamas war

Taiwan has set up a task force to learn from the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas, the island’s defense minister said today.

Like the war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war has raised concerns about potential conflict over Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that China claims as its territory. Taiwan is under growing pressure from Beijing, which says it seeks “peaceful unification” with the island but has not ruled out the use of force.

Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said officials had already drawn lessons from the Israel-Hamas war.

“The first is that intelligence work is really important, and when intelligence is available, many countermeasures can be made,” he told reporters. “These countermeasures also include our ability to prevent a war from happening.”

Satellite images show airstrikes’ damage in Gaza

Max Butterworth

New satellite images show the extent of damage caused by Israeli airstrikes. The remains of the Watan tower in Gaza City can be seen in pictures published by Maxar Technologies.

Other images captured by Maxar show the destruction across the Rimal district in Gaza City.

Israel’s sense of security forever changed from Hamas attack

No humanitarian aid for Gaza until Israeli hostages returned, Israeli minister says

Israel’s energy minister said there will be no humanitarian aid for Gaza until Israelis taken hostage by Hamas are returned home.

“No electrical switch will be turned on, no water stop cork will be opened, and no fuel truck will enter until the kidnapped Israelis are returned home,” Israel Katz said on X today.

“Humanitarian for humanitarian. And no one will preach us morals,” Katz wrote.

Aid organizations and the United Nations have been sounding the alarm about a growing humanitarian crisis in the densely populated Gaza Strip since Israel announced a complete blockade Monday, cutting off supplies of fuel, food, water and electricity, in retaliation for the unprecedented Hamas attack this weekend. It comes amid a barrage of airstrikes from Israel, which has already displaced more than a quarter million people in the enclave.

3 Chinese nationals killed and 2 missing, Foreign Ministry says

The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed today that three Chinese nationals had been killed and two are missing in the Israel-Hamas war.

Several others have been injured, ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular news briefing in Beijing.

“We express our deep sorrow for the victims, and express our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and the injured,” he said.

It was unclear whether the number of missing Wang cited included Noa Argamani, 25, whose abduction from a music festival by Hamas was seen in a widely shared video and who the Israeli Embassy in Beijing says is Israeli Chinese.

Gaza morgue inundated with bodies

Max Butterworth

A morgue worker arranges body bags at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City today.

Israel-Hamas war escalates tensions nationwide

Number of displaced people in Gaza rises to 263,000; all 13 hospitals only partially operational, U.N. says

The mass displacement of civilians in Gaza has now topped 263,000 people, the United Nations said yesterday, with more than 175,000 sheltering in U.N. schools in the enclave that’s home to more than 2 million people.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in its daily update that more than 1,000 housing units in Gaza have been destroyed since Israel started launching airstrikes on the region.

All 13 hospitals and other health facilities in the enclave are only partially operational because of supply shortages and fuel rationing, the U.N. said.

Cease-fire is imperative, China’s Mideast envoy tells Palestinian official

China is “deeply saddened” by the war between Israel and Hamas and the civilian deaths and injuries that have resulted, and calls for an immediate cease-fire, Beijing’s Middle East envoy told a Palestinian official.

The international community should work together to de-escalate the situation and provide Palestinians with humanitarian assistance, the envoy, Zhai Jun, said in a phone call yesterday with Amal Jadou, first deputy minister of Palestinian foreign affairs.

Zhai also reiterated China’s support for a two-state solution.

“China will continue to promote a cease-fire to stop the violence, help alleviate the humanitarian crisis, and actively promote peace and negotiations, so as to play a constructive role in promoting a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine,” Zhai told Jadou, according to a readout published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Blinken lands in Tel Aviv

Blinken has landed in Tel Aviv, five days after a surprise Hamas attack on Israel.

The State Department said Tuesday that Blinken’s message was one of solidarity and support. Spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken will be meeting with senior leaders in the Israeli government about the situation on the ground and how the U.S. can continue to best support Israel.

UNRWA director loses contact with family in Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsens

Catch up with nbcnews.com’s coverage from Israel and Gaza

Here are just some of the articles our team in the region and beyond have produced in the last 24 hours.