Israel-Hamas war updates: White House clarifies Biden’s ‘yes’ on Israel’s Gaza invasion

As the conflict enters its 15th day, Hamas on late Friday released an American woman and her teenage daughter who had been held captive in Gaza, Israel said.

This is the first release among more than 200 people abducted by the militant group during its October 7 attacks. The release comes amid expectations of an Israeli ground offensive aimed at rooting out Hamas militants in Gaza, with Israel clarifying that it does not intend to maintain long-term control over the territory, which is home to about 2.3 million people.

What happened on Day 14 of the war?

Simultaneously, as the Israeli military carried out airstrikes in Gaza, efforts were made to provide aid from Egypt to families and hospitals in need. Conflict between Israel and militants in Lebanon also continued, leading to evacuations in border towns on both sides, raising concerns of a broader regional conflict.

US President Joe Biden suggested that Israel delay a ground invasion until more hostages are released from Gaza. He spoke with the two released women following their freedom.

Regarding aid, Egypt said that two aid-laden trucks entered the Egyptian side of the border crossing on Saturday, but they have not yet passed into Gaza. Israel had announced the allowance of aid from Egypt through the Rafah crossing, but the border into the besieged territory has remained closed, with Egypt attributing the closure to damage from Israeli airstrikes.

Latest developments here:

• Two Americans, previously held in Gaza, are now with the Israeli military, following their release by Hamas for humanitarian reasons as part of an agreement with Qatar.

• Qatar has expressed its commitment to continuing dialogue with Israel and Hamas, with the goal of securing the release of all hostages, ultimately aiming to de-escalate the current crisis and restore peace.

• US President Joe Biden has requested a budget of over USD 105 billion from Congress. This budget is intended to provide security assistance for ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, as reported by CNN.

• President Biden believes that Hamas’s aggressive attack on Israel aimed to ‘disrupt’ the improving relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. He mentioned this during a campaign fundraiser, suggesting that the timing of the attack was influenced by his planned discussions with the Saudis.

• The conflict has resulted in a significant loss of life. Over 1,400 people have been killed in Israel, primarily during the initial attack by Hamas on October 7. In Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry has reported more than 4,137 Palestinian casualties due to Israeli retaliatory strikes, with over 13,000 others wounded.

Follow all the updates here:

Israel-Hamas war news LIVE: US Treasury official’s trip to Saudi Arabia and Qatar targets Hamas financial ties

• A high-ranking official from the Treasury Department is set to visit Saudi Arabia and Qatar next week, with the aim of increasing U.S. efforts to cut off financial support to Hamas and to discuss providing humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Brian Nelson, the Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, will participate in a session in Saudi Arabia involving the Executive Committee of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center.

• This committee is responsible for fostering cooperation among six Arab nations and the United States to disrupt terrorist financing networks through sanctions and law enforcement measures. The urgency of these efforts has grown since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in casualties and abductions.

• Nelson’s trip, which will include meetings with high-ranking Saudi and Qatari officials, aligns with the Biden administration’s goal of preventing the Israel-Hamas conflict from spreading further.

Here’s the latest report on missing, abducted, and killed foreigners

Here are the latest report details on the number of people from different countries who have been killed, abducted, or gone missing since the war between Israel and the Hamas militant group began on October 7.

• United States: 31 dead, 13 missing, others abducted

• UK: At least seven dead, nine missing

• Canada: Six dead, two missing

• China: Four dead, two missing

• France: 28 dead, one hostage, six missing

• Russia: 19 dead, two hostages, seven missing

• Ukraine: 18 dead

• Nepal: 10 dead, one missing

• Thailand: 30 dead, 19 hostages

• Argentina: Eight dead, 22 missing

• Italy: One dead, two missing