Israel escalates its bombing campaign in the Gaza strip and the West Bank as violence against Palestinians continues in the region.
Stepping up the fight: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are intensifying their airstrikes in Gaza as part of the “next stages of the war” against Hamas.
* Overnight raids killed at least 55 people, with the total death count in Gaza reaching over 4,300 in the past two weeks.
* Gaza’s residents have been asked to relocate to the south for their safety.
* Israel also claimed to have hit a “terrorist compound” in Jenin in the West Bank.
The hostage situation: Israel confirmed that 212 people are being held hostage in Gaza.
* Israeli strikes overnight killed dozens of Palestinian fighters, including the deputy chief of Hamas rocket forces.
* Despite warnings to move from north Gaza to the south, ongoing strikes make it unclear if this is safer.
The bigger picture: This comes in response to a cross-border attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel on October 7, which killed 1,400 people.
* There is surging violence in the West Bank, resulting in at least 90 Palestinians being killed in the Israeli-occupied territory in the past two weeks.
* Israel carried out an airstrike in a West Bank refugee camp last week, resulting in multiple Palestinian deaths.
Adding to the tension: Additional strikes were carried out on Hezbollah targets on the border with Lebanon, and airports in Damascus and Aleppo, Syria.
* These targeted attacks are coupled with a growing U.S. presence in the region.
* The Pentagon is sending anti-ballistic missile defense system, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), to the Middle East, along with additional Patriot air defense missile system battalions and naval support.
Humanitarian Effort: Aid convoys are focusing on the delivery of supplies to the Gaza strip.
* On Saturday, 20 trucks carrying medicine, medical supplies, food, mattresses and blankets crossed into the territory from Egypt, marking the first humanitarian aid in two weeks.
* However, fuel required for power hospitals and desalination plants did not arrive.
* Hundreds of foreign nationals are reportedly stranded in Gaza, with U.S. officials estimating that this number includes hundreds of American citizens.
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