Rafah: Israeli forces raided one of the last functioning hospitals in Gaza’s north and bombarded the south with airstrikes that killed at least 28 Palestinians, pressing ahead with their offensive Tuesday with renewed backing from the United States, despite rising international alarm.
The air and ground war, launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into Israel, has killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians, displaced some 1.9 million, demolished much of northern Gaza and sparked attacks on U.S. and Israeli targets across the region. Assaults on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have led major shipping companies as well as the oil and gas giant BP to suspend trade through the vital waterway, prompting the U.S. and its allies to launch a new mission to counter the threat. But after meeting with Israeli officials Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he was “not here to dictate timelines or terms.”