Israel has agreed to a US request to put its air defenses in place to protect US forces in the region ahead of an expected ground invasion of Gaza, according to US officials and people familiar with Israeli planning.
Iranian role: The leader of Iran-backed Hezbollah met with senior militant officials from Gaza, while Iran’s supreme leader accused the United States of “coordinating” the Israeli attack. Hundreds of Hamas fighters trained in Iran before October 7, according to people familiar with intelligence about the attack.
Hostages: Officials and analysts said that Hamas is using the hostages to delay the ground invasion and extract Israeli concessions. An Israeli hostage released by Hamas described her experience.
fighting: Israeli forces clashed on four fronts on Wednesday, striking targets in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria.
Humanitarian crisis: Only eight of the 20 aid trucks scheduled to enter Gaza on Tuesday arrived, after delays.
Injuries: Hamas officials said the number of Palestinian deaths in Gaza exceeds 6,500. The number cannot be independently verified. More than 1,400 people were killed in Israel in the Hamas attack that sparked the war. The Israeli army said that more than 300 Israeli soldiers were killed.
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