Aid trucks to Gaza didn't have enough supply for even 1 school, says Palestinian spox

 After days of diplomatic negotiations regarding the terms of relief delivery, trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, which had been stuck in Egypt, successfully crossed into the blockaded Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing on Saturday.

Amid escalating regional tensions due to the conflict in Gaza, Israel's national security council issued an urgent directive on Saturday, urging its citizens to promptly depart from Egypt and Jordan.

Hamas has reportedly released two American hostages who were held in Gaza since an incident where militants entered southern Israel on October 7. This release occurred even as Israeli airstrikes continued to target the southern Gaza region, which has seen an influx of civilians who followed Israeli instructions and fled there from the north.

Israel's evacuation of a substantial town near the Lebanese border is raising concerns of a possible ground invasion of Gaza, a move that has the potential to spark regional instability.

President Joe Biden on Friday said that he can't let terrorists like ‘Hamas’ and tyrants like ‘Putin’ win.

Biden underscored the existential threat Hamas poses to Israel's democracy in a speech that also touched on Ukraine's resistance against Russia's invasion.

"We can't ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians who only want to live in peace and have opportunity," he said.

According to US officials, there have been multiple attacks on American troops in Iraq and Syria in recent days, Reuters reported. Washington remains on high alert due to concerns about the actions of Iran-backed groups, particularly as regional tensions escalate amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Over the past two weeks, President Joe Biden has deployed significant naval forces to the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers, additional warships, and approximately 2,000 Marines.

With the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7th, there has been a noticeable increase in attacks targeting US forces. One such incident occurred on Wednesday when a drone struck US forces in Syria, causing minor injuries, while another drone was successfully intercepted and neutralised.

In response to Hamas's October 7th attack, Israel has initiated a continuous barrage of the Gaza Strip, prompting the call-up of an unprecedented 360,000 reservists. Regrettably, the assault has led to a significant loss of life, with an estimated 1,400 casualties, primarily civilians.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, a minimum of 4,137 Palestinians, including hundreds of children, have lost their lives, and 13,000 have sustained injuries in Gaza. The United Nations has reported that over one million people have been displaced from their homes due to the ongoing conflict.

(AFP)