Israel conducted airstrikes on the Gaza Strip while preparing for a ground invasion with the stated goal of eradicating Hamas, as Russia expressed concerns about the potential for the conflict to extend beyond the Middle East.
In the blockaded Gaza Strip, there was a severe shortage of humanitarian supplies, and global powers were unable to reach a consensus on a ceasefire to facilitate aid delivery. Meanwhile, residents were forced to bury their loved ones in mass graves due to the rising civilian casualties.
U.S. President Joe Biden, in his remarks, looked towards a future where Israeli and Palestinian states coexist side by side.
In Washington, during a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, President Joe Biden expressed the belief that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve to coexist in safety, dignity, and peace.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed concerns about the potential for the conflict to extend beyond the Middle East, emphasizing the wrongfulness of innocent civilians in Gaza, particularly women, children, and the elderly, bearing the brunt of the punishment for others’ actions.
Putin, during a meeting with various religious leaders in Russia, stressed the immediate need to stop the violence and bloodshed to avoid further escalation, which could have devastating consequences not only for the Middle East but also for regions beyond its borders.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had agreed to delay its ground invasion of Gaza until U.S. air defense systems could be deployed in the region, possibly as early as this week, to protect American forces. U.S. officials voiced concerns to Israel about potential escalations by Iranian-backed groups in the event of an Israeli incursion into Gaza.
The conflict in Gaza has already spilled over into neighboring territories. Israeli airstrikes targeted Syrian army infrastructure in response to rocket attacks from Syria, an Iranian ally. Israel also carried out strikes on Syria’s Aleppo airport and Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran, a longstanding adversary of Israel, has been supporting armed groups in various countries, including Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza. Iran has warned Israel to halt its offensive in Gaza.
At the United Nations, a U.S.-drafted Security Council resolution calling for humanitarian pauses in the conflict was vetoed by Russia and China, with the United Arab Emirates also voting against it. Russia proposed an alternative resolution for a broader ceasefire, but it failed to garner enough votes.
The Israeli government revealed that more than half of the approximately 220 hostages held by Hamas have foreign passports from 25 different countries, with many of them believed to possess dual Israeli nationality. International pressure is mounting to delay a ground invasion of Gaza due to these hostages and other concerns.
The death toll in Gaza continues to rise, with unidentified victims being buried in mass graves, marked only with numbers instead of names, according to residents. Some families are using identifying bracelets to increase the chances of locating their loved ones in case they are killed.
President Biden expressed skepticism about the Palestinian-reported death toll but did not specify the reasons behind his doubts. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) voiced deep concerns about Biden’s comments on the Gaza casualty figures and called for an apology.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel is preparing for a ground invasion but did not provide specifics regarding timing, scale, or strategy. Israeli tanks and troops are stationed along the Gaza border, with the call-up of 360,000 reservists underway.
