Israel-Hamas war highlights: Israel denies responsibility for Gaza hospital blast that killed at least 500

An injured person is assisted at Shifa Hospital after an Israeli air strike hit the nearby Al-Ahli Hospital, according to Gaza Health Ministry in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, October 17, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Al-Masri

Israel-Hamas war highlights: The Israeli military has said that it killed four people who tried to infiltrate the fence bordering Lebanon and plant explosive devices. United States President Joe Biden will visit Israel and Jordan on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in the early hours Tuesday. He also announced that the United States and Israel have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza.

The war between Israel and the Hamas militants entered its 11th day on Tuesday. Tel Aviv has stationed its forces along the Gaza border, carrying out drills for a possible ground invasion to pursue Hamas militants. The war has claimed over 4,000 lives since it began last Saturday. These include around 1,400 Israelis and 2,750 Palestinians.

Israel has put the Gaza Strip under a total blockade and has pounded it with unprecedented air strikes. Concerns have been mounting globally about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip and fears that the war could metastasize into a broader regional conflict. Truckloads of aid by the United Nations and other organisations remain at Egypt’s border with Gaza as residents and humanitarian groups plead for water, food, and fuel for dying generators.