Where things stand six months into the Israel-Hamas war
Six months ago, armed terrorists burst across the border from the Gaza Strip into Israel and unleashed a devastating massacre, during which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage by Hamas. What followed has been a war that on some level everybody appears to be losing.
Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 33,000 people, most of them women and children, according to the Palestinian enclave’s health ministry. Israel says it has two primary aims: to free the remaining 130 mostly Israeli hostages; and to destroy the Hamas militant group that led the attack on Oct. 7, a goal that critics say is too ambitious or impossible.
On Sunday, the Israeli military said it has reduced the number of ground troops in the southern Gaza Strip following the conclusion of its monthslong operation in the city of Khan Younis.
The IDF said it was pulling its 98th commando division “to recuperate and prepare for future operations,” though it was not clear if the move signaled a turning point in Israel’s strategy.
Israel has become increasingly isolated internationally, with even its closest ally, the United States, demanding that it do more to help protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza, where more than 1 million people are now thought to be on the brink of famine.
The killing of seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen has further stoked tensions, with aid agencies citing systemic failings in the IDF’s approach to protecting humanitarian workers in the Gaza Strip.
Election 2024: Ohio troubles and mail-in ballot fears
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have been raising millions for their presidential campaigns. And with seven months to go until Election Day, a letter from the top election official in one state got significant attention over the weekend.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose wrote to state Democratic Party Chairwoman Liz Walters that the Democratic…
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