Latest developments in the Israel-Hamas conflict: Biden will travel to Israel as Gaza waits for assistance and prepares for an Israeli invasion

 On Wednesday, President Biden will travel to Israel to express his strong support for a crucial ally of the United States that has declared war on the Palestinian organization Hamas in response to their deadly terror campaign in southern Israel. According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Mr. Biden is "coming here at a critical moment for Israel, for the region, and for the world," as he declared on Monday on his second trip to the Jewish state in a week. 

Additionally, Blinken stated that Israel and the United States had "agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multinational organizations to reach civilians in Gaza," the small, crowded Palestinian region ruled by Hamas for almost two decades. Following Hamas' onslaught on October 7, Israel established a total blockade of the Gaza Strip. It continued Israeli bombings that have pushed almost half of Gaza's 2.3 million population from their homes, leading to a humanitarian crisis as food, fuel, and water supplies are critically low.

According to officials in Gaza, more than 2,800 people have died and about 11,000 others have been injured as a result of Israel's shelling, mostly women and children. According to Israeli authorities, the continued rocket assaults and Hamas blockade have left 3,500 people injured and 1,400 people dead. Nearly 200 captives, including soldiers and civilians from Israel, are reportedly being held by Hamas. 

After the Hamas raids in Israel, 13 Americans are still missing, while 30 Americans have been confirmed dead. There could be 600 Americans among the hundreds of thousands of people stranded in Gaza.  

The biggest unknowns as of Tuesday morning are when Israel will begin its widely anticipated ground invasion of Gaza, having vowed to destroy Hamas on its own soil, and when Israel and Egypt — which controls the only border crossing out of southern Gaza, at Rafah — might agree to open that gate to let at least some foreign nationals escape and humanitarian aid get in.

Source : 

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinians-hostages-updates/