Israel, continuing its blistering retaliation on Gaza, has urged locals in the Strip to share actionable intel on Hamas hostages. The military has offered money, confidentiality, and protection to anyone with information regarding their rescue.
Here are 10 points on the big story:
In a sharp warning to Hamas, which now has around 220 hostages according to Israel, the Israel Defence Forces said: "If your will is to live in peace and to have a better future for your children, do the humanitarian deed immediately and share verified and valuable information about hostages being held in your area."
"The Israeli military assures you that it will invest maximum effort in providing security for you and your home, and you will receive a financial reward. We guarantee you complete confidentiality," it said, sharing contact details for anyone with information to come forward.
Hamas has begun releasing hostages, with two Israeli women being freed on Monday, days after two American women. The group is likely to release another 50 hostages soon, according to media reports.
The Israel army, fighting the war on multiple fronts, on Wednesday said that it struck military infrastructure inside Syria in response to earlier launches towards Israel on Tuesday. The forces in an overnight raid in the West Bank came under fire by a group of Palestinians, who were then targeted with a drone strike, the Israeli military said, reported news agency Reuters, adding that two Palestinians were killed, medics said.
The IDF on Tuesday announced that the personnel marshalling on the country's southern border is ready to 'invade' Gaza, news agency AFP reported, citing The Jerusalem Post. "I want to be clear, we are ready to invade," IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt General Herzi Halevi said.
Israel has been threatening to launch a ground offensive on the Strip in addition to the airstrikes, but it has yet to announce a timeline for the attack. The chief of staff said the IDF is in the process of deciding the 'exact timing' of the ground invasion of Gaza with Israel's politicians.
Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel has only one task - crushing Hamas - and that it will not stop until the group is completely dismantled. "With the fighters in the field, we have only one task -- to crush Hamas, and we will not stop until we complete the task," the PM stated.
US President Joe Biden, asked whether he has urged Israel to delay its ground offensive, said that Israel can make its own decisions, as the US firmly backs its ally while urging caution, reported news agency PTI.
The raging war could deal a heavy blow to the global economy, banking titans told an investment forum in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The dour mood from some of the gathering's most high-profile speakers underscored how the conflict threatens attempts by the world's biggest oil exporter to diversify its economy away from fossil fuels, reported AFP.
Hamas operatives stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, killing at least 1,400 people and taking over 220 people hostages, according to Israeli officials. More than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed across the blockaded coastal enclave in retaliatory Israeli bombardments, the Hamas-run health ministry said.
