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President Biden spoke about the war between Israel and Hamas in Tel Aviv on Oct. 18, saying, “We believe in the fundamental dignity of every human life.” (Video: The Washington Post)

U.S. says Israel ‘not responsible’ for hospital blast; Biden says Sisi will allow aid into Gaza

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Biden, who visited Israel Wednesday, said the Pentagon showed him “data” indicating that Israel was not responsible for Tuesday’s deadly strike on the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza. He did not share additional details. Earlier in the day, he embraced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said the material suggested that the strike was “done by the other team, not you.”
The Gaza hospital blast has fueled concern about the potential for a wider regional escalation of the conflict. The U.S. State Department on Tuesday raised its travel advisory for Lebanon to the most severe level, warning U.S. citizens not to visit the country. Biden was scheduled to meet with the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority to discuss the conflict, but the summit was canceled after the strike.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening, with water and fuel running low amid continued blackouts and an Israeli siege, according to relief agencies. On Wednesday, Biden announced a deal with Israel to allow humanitarian aid to move into Gaza from Egypt, as well as $100 million in new U.S. funding for humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
At least 1,400 people in Israel have been killed and more than 4,562 injured since the unprecedented cross-border Hamas attack on Oct. 7, Israeli authorities said. Palestinian officials said 3,478 people in Gaza have been killed and more than 12,500 wounded. At least 31 U.S. nationals have died, with 13 unaccounted for. Hamas is holding at least 200 to 250 hostages, a spokesman for Hamas’s military wing estimated.
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Biden, who visited Israel Wednesday, said the Pentagon showed him “data” indicating that Israel was not responsible for Tuesday’s deadly strike on the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza. He did not share additional details. Earlier in the day, he embraced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said the material suggested that the strike was “done by the other team, not you.”
The Gaza hospital blast has fueled concern about the potential for a wider regional escalation of the conflict. The U.S. State Department on Tuesday raised its travel advisory for Lebanon to the most severe level, warning U.S. citizens not to visit the country. Biden was scheduled to meet with the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority to discuss the conflict, but the summit was canceled after the strike.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening, with water and fuel running low amid continued blackouts and an Israeli siege, according to relief agencies. On Wednesday, Biden announced a deal with Israel to allow humanitarian aid to move into Gaza from Egypt, as well as $100 million in new U.S. funding for humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
At least 1,400 people in Israel have been killed and more than 4,562 injured since the unprecedented cross-border Hamas attack on Oct. 7, Israeli authorities said. Palestinian officials said 3,478 people in Gaza have been killed and more than 12,500 wounded. At least 31 U.S. nationals have died, with 13 unaccounted for. Hamas is holding at least 200 to 250 hostages, a spokesman for Hamas’s military wing estimated.
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Israel-Gaza war

The Israel-Gaza war has gone on for six months, and tensions have spilled into the surrounding region.

The war: On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel that included the taking of civilian hostages at a music festival. (See photos and videos of how the deadly assault unfolded). Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel’s creation in 1948.

Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars, killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “famine-like conditions.” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave.

U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians, including President Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons, funds aid packages, and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations’ cease-fire resolutions.

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Read more on the history of the Gaza Strip.