Jerusalem: As the conflict enters its 15th day, Hamas on late Friday released an American woman and her teenage daughter who had been held captive in Gaza, Israel said. This is the first release among more than 200 people abducted by the militant group during its October 7 attacks. The release comes amid expectations of an Israeli ground offensive aimed at rooting out Hamas militants in Gaza, with Israel clarifying that it does not intend to maintain long-term control over the territory, which is home to about 2.3 million people.
At least 4,137 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Israel began bombarding the Palestinian enclave, the Hamas-controlled health ministry said on Friday. The ministry said another 13,162 people have been wounded in the Israeli strikes, which have been ongoing since October 7.
Meanwhile, US president Joe Biden is seeking $100 billion in new spending from Congress, with 60 billion dollars allocated for Ukraine,14 billion dollars for Israel, 10 billion dollars for humanitarian aid, 14 billion dollars for border security, and 7 billion dollars for the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, Russia has advised its citizens to avoid Israel and adjacent territories for the time being.