The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a drone attack on the West Bank while reports indicate that approximately 700 people have been killed in Gaza, making it the latest development in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza.

The possibility of Israeli troops attacking Gaza’s crowded city areas, where terrorists hide behind innocent civilians, evokes painful recollections of the violent conflicts fought by the coalition led by the U.S. against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

As Israel prepares for a potential ground invasion against Hamas, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his military leaders see the intense combat in Mosul and Raqqa, along with the civilian deaths caused by airstrikes and gunfights, as valuable lessons to be shared.

“In our conversations with the Israelis, and as we’ve made very clear, we’re continuing to highlight, the importance of mitigating civilian casualties and ensuring that … things like safety corridors are thought through,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, said Tuesday.

The United States has the ability to vividly depict the killing of innocent civilians.

An Associated Press investigation revealed that during the eight-month long battle to free Mosul from Islamic militants, approximately 10,000 individuals lost their lives. This included at least 3,200 innocent civilians who were killed by airstrikes, artillery fire, or mortar rounds between October 2016 and the defeat of the Islamic State group in July 2017.

A similar amount of non-combatants were either fatally harmed or held captive by armed extremists and utilized as protection while escaping the urban area.

At a meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, the secretary-general of the United Nations expressed his strongest criticism yet of Israel’s actions in the Gaza conflict. Israeli soldiers were preparing to enter Gaza in the next phase of the conflict against Palestinian militants.

As reported by Gaza’s health ministry, over 700 Palestinians lost their lives in Israeli air strikes during the time span of Monday to Tuesday. This marks the highest number of deaths within a 24-hour period since Israel initiated its bombardment of the Strip in an attempt to weaken Hamas following their unexpected attack on October 7th.

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The foreign minister of Israel justified their military strike on Gaza, stating that it was a justified reaction to the attack by Hamas on October 7th. He also vowed to completely destroy all of the militant members, stating that it is not only their right but also their duty to do so.

The Israeli army reported preventing an attack by a team of Hamas divers attempting to breach the Israeli border from a beach north of Gaza. The group was met with airstrikes, naval presence, and ground forces.

In central and south Gaza, Israel instructed civilians to seek refuge, and in these areas, there were numerous instances of rescuers extracting the deceased and injured from extensive piles of debris resulting from collapsed structures. Disturbing images and footage captured by the AP revealed rescuers uncovering the bodies of children from multiple demolished buildings.

A man kneeled on the ground inside the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah beside three deceased children covered in bloody sheets. Later on, at the morgue nearby, employees held a prayer for 24 deceased individuals who were wrapped in body bags, including several young children.

On Tuesday, Israel intensified its bombings in the Gaza Strip, causing destruction to residential buildings and resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians. As a result, medical facilities were forced to close due to damage from the bombs and loss of electricity.

According to the interior ministry controlled by Hamas, Israeli aircraft carried out a sustained airstrike on various locations throughout Gaza overnight.

The continuously rising number of casualties resulting from the airstrikes is unlike anything seen in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. This foreshadows an even higher death toll in Gaza as Israeli troops, supported by tanks and artillery, prepare to initiate a ground assault with the goal of defeating Hamas militants.

The 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza are facing shortages of basic necessities such as food, water, and medicine due to Israel’s blockade of the area after the destructive attack by Hamas on southern Israeli towns on October 7th.

The White House cancelled their original intention to feature the musical group The B-52s at the state dinner for Australia’s prime minister on Wednesday. This decision was made due to the belief that it would be insensitive during a time of widespread suffering, as stated by first lady Jill Biden.

The first lady made an announcement on Tuesday that changes were made to the entertainment planned for the dinner, without mentioning the Israel-Hamas war. Instead of the band known for songs like “Love Shack”, instrumental music will be provided by the Marine band, Army, and Air Force Strolling Strings.

Maintaining strong partnerships and relationships with our allies is crucial, particularly during these uncertain times,” she stated. “Food has a soothing, reassuring, and restorative quality, and we aim for this dinner to offer some of that too.”

The Russian government has voiced measured disapproval of both parties involved in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. However, this situation has also opened up possibilities for Russia to assert itself as a major player in global affairs and undermine attempts by Western nations to isolate it due to the situation in Ukraine.

Although Moscow may not have the ability to facilitate a resolution in the Middle East, it may attempt to exploit any perceived credibility issues with the West’s approach to the conflict. Additionally, it anticipates that the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict will divert attention from the ongoing fighting in Ukraine and weaken support for Kyiv.

Despite potential benefits, there are also potential drawbacks for Moscow. One such drawback could be damaging its current relationship with Israel, which has previously prevented it from providing weapons to Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has denounced the 7 October assault carried out by Hamas fighters on towns located in southern Israel. However, he also cautioned Israel against imposing a blockade on the Gaza Strip, comparing it to the siege of Leningrad by Nazi Germany during World War II.

He has portrayed the war as a result of the United States’ diplomatic failure, accusing them of choosing to provide financial aid to the Palestinians instead of working towards establishing a Palestinian state.

Earlier this month, Mr. Putin stated that Moscow could act as a mediator due to its positive relationships with both Israel and the Palestinians. He also emphasized that Russia could not be accused of favoring one side.

On Tuesday, the White House announced that they are making preparations to potentially evacuate Americans from the Middle East in the event that the Israel-Hamas conflict escalates into a larger regional war.

John Kirby, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, emphasized that there are currently no ongoing attempts to remove Americans from the area. However, the U.S government has started conducting charter flights from Israel earlier this month.

Kirby stated that it would be unwise and negligent to not consider a wide range of potential scenarios. He also noted that evacuations are among the possible actions to consider.

The White House discussed backup plans in response to increasing worries about the ongoing 18-day conflict between Israel and Hamas potentially escalating further.

The United States has suggested to Israel that delaying a potential ground incursion into Gaza may be beneficial, as the U.S. and other regional allies work towards securing the freedom of over 200 hostages taken during the Hamas attack on October 7th.

The family of an Arab-Israeli paramedic, who provided aid to injured survivors during the attack at a music festival in the desert, has shared that he was killed by Hamas militants.

At the Supernova festival, Awad Darawashe, 22, was working at a first aid tent when Hamas initiated their lethal assault on October 7th in the early morning.

According to his cousin, Kazim Khalileh, the militants took control of his ambulance and brought it back to Gaza with people being held as hostages.

Mr Darawashe, from Iksal – a small Arab-majority town near Nazareth – was seen treating victims with gunshot wounds just moments before militants completely overran the overnight rave.