Israel said it struck back at an organization from Syria that targeted a school in the southern city of Eilat with a drone. Earlier, the Pentagon said military personnel in Syria and Iraq had come under attack four times since a US airstrike this week on an arms depot that had been intended as a deterrent.
Israel is providing “quick humanitarian windows” to allow people to flee northern Gaza while the military fights Hamas militants, IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said. The IDF estimates between 50,000 and 100,000 people have exited northern Gaza in the last few days and a total of 850,000-900,000 have fled the area, Conricus said.
Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union.
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Israel Providing ‘Quick Humanitarian Windows’ While Fighting Hamas (7:15 am)
Israel is providing “quick humanitarian windows” to allow people to flee northern Gaza while the military fights Hamas militants, according to IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus.
Israel estimates that between 50,000 and 100,000 people have exited northern Gaza in the last few days and a total of between 850,000 and 900,000 had already fled the area, Conricus said in a live briefing posted on social media website X.
Soldiers are preparing additional attacks against Hamas’ infrastructure and troops have been deployed “near the heart of Gaza city,” he said.
He also said there was an area in southern Gaza that the IDF was not striking and would continue to do so to allow humanitarian aid inside the Mediterranean enclave.
Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Claim They Fired Missiles at Eilat (7:00 a.m.)
Yemen’s Houthi rebels, which are backed by Iran, said they fired a batch of ballistic missiles at targets in Israel’s southern region, including Eilat.
The Houthis claim to have dispatched drones and fired missiles on several occasions in support of the Palestinians since the start of the conflict between Hamas and Israel.
It’s unclear if the drones and missiles reached anywhere near Israel. The Israeli government confirmed a drone attack on Eilat on Thursday, but said it came from Syria.
Israel Carries Out Strikes on Syria After Drone Attack on School (5:40 a.m.)
Israel said it struck back at an organization from Syria that carried out a drone attack on a school in the Red Sea city of Eilat.
Israel’s Fight Spreads Into Syria, Poisons Ties With Russia
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that it “holds the Syrian regime fully responsible for every terror activity emanating from its territory.”
Netanyahu Says Accord With Saudis Is Still Possible (2:45 a.m.)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a peace deal with Saudi Arabia was still possible, despite intense fighting in the Gaza Strip.
“I think it will be a reality,” Netanyahu said during an interview with Fox News that was broadcast Thursday evening. “I think conditions will be ripe. In fact, after a victory, I think they’ll be even riper.”
Saudi Minister Says Israel Talks Hinge on Palestinian Question
Asked about President Joe Biden’s comments earlier that the fighting has “taken a little longer than I’d hoped,” Netanyahu responded: “Well, it’s taken a little longer than I’d hoped.”
Pentagon Says US Forces Attacked Four Times After Syria Strike (10:30 p.m.)
US personnel in Syria and Iraq came under attack four times since the Pentagon targeted a weapons supply depot in Syria, in what was meant to be a deterrence strike.
Three people suffered minor injuries in the latest attacks, deputy Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said. US personnel have come under attack from drones and rockets a total of 46 times since Oct. 17, she said. Fifty-six people were injured and all have returned to duty, Singh said. The US says its warplanes struck a weapons-storage facility on Wednesday night in Syria that belonged to Iran and its affiliates.
Paris Conference for Gaza Pledges €1 Billion in Aid (9:00 p.m.)
Participants at a Paris conference on Gaza pledged €1 billion in aid for Palestinians, according to an aide to French President Emmanuel Macron. It wasn’t immediately clear how much of that represents new commitments.
More Than 50,000 Leave North Gaza for South, Israel Says (8:30 p.m.)
More than 50,000 people left north Gaza for the south on Thursday via what Israel called a humanitarian corridor to allow Palestinians to escape the area where fighting is heaviest, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said. It was a sharp increase from the previous few days.
Israeli Pauses Are Result of American Diplomacy, US Says (8:15 pm)
Israel’s decision to allow daily, four-hour pauses in the fighting for the evacuation of civilians and the distribution of aid was a “direct result” of diplomatic discussions between Biden administration officials and their Israeli counterparts, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.
Israel Army Says Pauses Are to Let Gazans Move South (7:20 p.m.)
Israel will enact “tactical local pauses for humanitarian aid, which are limited in time and area,” army spokesperson Richard Hecht told reporters in a briefing, speaking after the White House said that Israel plans daily four-hour pauses in the fighting in some areas.
Hecht said one purpose of the plan is to allow civilians in Gaza to move from the territory’s north, where the heaviest fighting is taking place, to the south. He said the pauses don’t represent a shift in strategy and Israel was already doing something similar.