The United States warned Monday that any Gaza ceasefire by Israel would benefit Hamas, as the European Union considers a call for a humanitarian pause.

A ceasefire would “give Hamas the power to relaxation, to refit and to get able to proceed launching terrorist assaults in opposition to Israel,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

American and allied forces in Syria were targeted Monday in an attack that did not cause casualties, a US official said, after a militant group claimed to have launched drones at Washington’s troops.

Armed factions close to Iran have threatened to attack US interests over Washington’s support for Israel since Hamas militants killed more than 1,400 people in a shock cross-border attack from Gaza on October 7. More details.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for “unhindered entry” for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza in a phone call to his Brazilian counterpart Lula da Silva, reported AFP.

According to the Kremlin, the two leaders “expressed critical concern concerning the rising variety of civilian casualties and careworn the basic significance of an early ceasefire, the evacuation of international residents from the Gaza Strip, and of guaranteeing unhindered entry to the enclave for humanitarian help”.

The explosion at a hospital in Gaza City, which killed over 400 persons, was most likely caused by a missile fired from within Gaza and not by a rocket from Israel, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the Parliament.

“The British authorities judges that the explosion was possible brought on by a missile, or a part of one, that was launched from inside Gaza in the direction of Israel,” Sunak mentioned. Read more.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shortly will give a statement to the House of Commons in London about the situation in Israel and Gaza, the BBC reports.

Sunak travelled to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt last week amid the war between Hamas and Israel.

Doctors at a Gaza neonatal intensive care unit are scrambling to find fuel and basic medicines for their tiny patients who could die within minutes if their incubators lose power in the Palestinian enclave under Israeli siege.

“We name on everybody to ship the mandatory medical provides for this important division or else we face an enormous disaster,” mentioned Doctor Nasser Bulbul at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Read further.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is saying that he spoke to Jordan’s King Abdullah and exchanged views on the developments in the West Asia region.

“We share concerns regarding terrorism, violence and loss of civilian lives. Concerted efforts needed for early resolution of the security and humanitarian situation,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

More than 19,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon amid an uptick in tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, a United Nations agency said.

“An enhance in cross-border incidents” has resulted in the displacement of 19,646 people in Lebanon, “each throughout the south and elsewhere throughout the nation”, the International Organization for Migration said.

The Israeli army said that it had “thwarted” an attack from Gaza by two drones that was claimed by Hamas.

“Two UAVs have been recognized crossing from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory” at Nir Oz and Ein HaBesor near the border, the army said.

According to draft conclusions of an EU summit, European Union leaders will call this week for a “humanitarian pause” within the Israel-Hamas battle in order that help for Palestinians within the Gaza Strip can safely attain these in want. More details here.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine’s Hamas entered its 17th day on Monday. Here’s what has happened today.

• At least 436 Palestinians, including 182 children, were killed in the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in the last 24 hours, the Gazal Health Ministry has said.
• A third convoy of trucks carrying aid for people in Gaza entered the Rafah crossing from Egypt.
• The Israeli military said that their ground forces conducted “limited raids” in Gaza to kill gunmen and search for hostages.
• The Israeli military said that it launched an interceptor missile at a “suspicious aerial goal” that crossed in from Lebanon.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen is heading to New York Monday night to speak at the United Nations Security Council on the attacks by Hamas and Israel’s retaliatory action.

He would bring families of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas, and would also take part in events with them in New York, the Israeli Foreign Ministry told The Times of Israel. More details here.

Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billstrom has said that EU countries are still discussing the idea of a humanitarian ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, but added that there could be more ways to get the much-needed aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

“The discussions are ongoing, however the query actually is not a couple of ceasefire, however about tips on how to convey help ahead and that may be finished in very many various methods,” he said, according to Reuters.

Turkey has sent two cargo planes to Egypt carrying medical equipment and supplies for Gaza, its Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told Reuters. He adds that the country would send two more aircraft with more supplies soon.

At least 436 Palestinians, including 182 children, were killed in the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in the last 24 hours, Reuters is reporting, citing the Gaza health ministry.

Israel Defence Forces representative Major Doron has said that during the October 7 attack by Hamas, Tel Aviv failed on multiple fronts of security, including intelligence and military.

“There isn’t any query that Israel failed right here on many ranges. The intelligence spheres, the army spheres, and plenty of others,” he says. Read further.

According to Reuters, the Israeli military is saying that it had launched an interceptor missile at a “suspicious aerial goal” that crossed in from Lebanon. Sirens were also sounded in areas of the border as a precaution.

Israel has shaped an elite unit of brokers to notably monitor down Hamas militants who have been concerned within the October 7 assault on Israeli cities.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the specifically chosen members will operate independently from different items. More details about the unit here.

A third convoy of trucks carrying aid for people in Gaza has entered the Rafah crossing from Egypt, AFP is reporting. The deliveries of aid through the crossing began on Saturday.

Hamas officials are claiming that Israeli strikes on Gaza overnight have killed at least 70 people. Earlier today, the Israeli military said that it hit “over 320 army targets within the Gaza Strip” over the previous 24 hours. Read further.

Israeli warplanes conducted airstrikes across Gaza early on Monday, even in areas designated as refuges for Palestinian civilians. This followed the limited entry of aid shipments into the besieged territory, which was under the control of Hamas on Sunday, AP reports.

The looming threat of an Israeli ground offensive in Gaza has become increasingly apparent since Hamas’ incursion into southern Israel on October 7. Tanks and troops have been positioned along the Gaza border, and Israel has intensified its airstrikes in an effort to minimize risks to its forces in the forthcoming stages of the conflict.

Concerns of a broader regional conflict have escalated as Israeli warplanes have targeted locations in the occupied West Bank, Syria, and Lebanon in recent days.

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Monday, as per Times of Israel, that the Israeli military carried out strikes to eliminate at least 20 Hezbollah cells in southern Lebanon since the war with Hamas began on October 7.

The military wing of Palestinian Hamas said on Sunday, in a statement, that its fighters engaged with an infiltrating Israeli force and returned to base, claiming to have destroyed Israeli equipment, Reuters reports.

Israeli military said on Monday, “Ground forces conducted limited Gaza raids to kill gunmen, search for hostages.”

Israeli military said on Monday, as per Reuters, “Monitoring to ensure Hamas doesn’t get Gaza aid, ready to mount operations to prevent such seizures.”

As per Reuters, Israeli military said, “Gaza gunmen gathering to ambush Israeli incursions, prompts Israeli airstrikes on assembly points.”

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman, has disclosed that the military has successfully informed the families of 222 hostages that their loved ones are currently being held in the Gaza Strip. This encompasses a significant number of foreign nationals. The process of identification and family notification has been time-consuming, Hagari said as per Times of Israel reported.

This excludes Judith Raanan and her daughter Natalie, who were released by Hamas on Friday night, Hagari said.

Itamar Ben Gvir, the National Security Minister and leader of far-right Otzma Yehudit party, has called upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to incorporate a minister who does not belong to the Likud party or Benny Gantz’s National Unity into the three-person war cabinet, Times of Israel reported.

“As a member of the coalition, a senior minister in the government and a member of the cabinet, I accepted your unilateral decision on the composition of the ‘restricted cabinet’ which does not include me — the national security minister. I do not intend to confront you on the matter, despite the fact that it is appropriate that the position of the huge number of voters who put their trust in us and asked us to represent them should be heard in the limited cabinet. I hereby demand that a member or even an observer be added to the cabinet,” Gvir wrote.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday voiced the support for a pause in the conflict between Israel and Hamas to let more aid supplies into Gaza, reported AFP.

“Now a very powerful factor is for humanitarian assist to enter Gaza,” Borrell told reporters as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

Borrell said the ministers would discuss the call from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a pause to allow much more humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians to enter Gaza.

European Union top diplomat calls for ‘more, quicker’ aid supplies to Gaza, AFP reported.

As overnight Israeli raids on the Palestinian community extended till morning, numerous individuals were arrested in the occupied West Bank, as reported by Palestinian authorities and media outlets.

The most recent round of arrests took place in the city of Hebron, where Israeli forces detained 59 individuals, including 40 labourers from the Gaza Strip, according to the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa.

Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, announced on Monday his intention to implement significant economic measures, including reducing income tax for households affected by inflation and providing tax incentives to encourage corporate investment. These measures are seen as an effort to regain popularity among the public, as his support has dwindled, AP reported.

In his address marking the commencement of a new parliamentary session, Kishida stressed the need to shift away from an economy characterized by low costs, low wages, and cost-cutting. Instead, he emphasized the importance of fostering growth through sustainable wage increases and active investment.

Kishida stated, “I’m dedicated to implementing remarkably daring measures,” vowing to work intensively to enhance the country’s supply capabilities over the next three years. He emphasized, “My major focus can be on the economic system above all else.”

The Israel Defense Forces have reported striking approximately 320 targets affiliated with the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups in the Gaza Strip within the last day. In anticipation of a ground offensive in Gaza, the military has concentrated its strikes on locations that pose potential threats to its forces.

During the night, the IDF’s Air Force conducted airstrikes on tunnels housing Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives, military installations, surveillance posts, and positions containing mortar and anti-tank-guided missiles. Additionally, infantry, artillery, and tank units of the IDF targeted various Hamas terror cells in Gaza, including one that was in the process of planning a missile attack along the border.

IDF said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, “In the last day, the IDF attacked over 320 targets throughout the Gaza Strip. In the last day, the IDF continued to attack terrorist infrastructures and military targets in the Gaza Strip.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes a meeting of the country’s top generals and the war cabinet to assess the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestine’s Hamas.

Several US officials told The New York Times that the White House wanted Israel to give more time for hostage negotiations and for humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip before launching another ground invasion.

Two officials told the news organisation that a message was conveyed to Israel through US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin who was constantly in touch with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Israel’s Education Ministry has decided to remove a chapter on climate activist Greta Thunberg after the Swedish activist extended support to Gaza in a recent stand.

As per The Jerusalem Post, the ministry said, “Hamas is a terrorist organization responsible for the murder of 1,400 innocent Israelis, including children, women, and the elderly, and it has abducted over 200 people to Gaza. This stance disqualifies her from being an educational and moral role model, and she is no longer eligible to serve as an inspiration and educator for Israeli students.”

Thunberg in a recent post on X, formerly Twitter, said, “Today we strike in solidarity with Palestine and Gaza. The world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, “I spoke with @POTUS, @EmmanuelMacron, @Bundeskanzler, @GiorgiaMeloni, and @RishiSunak today about the ongoing conflict between Israel and terrorist organization Hamas. We reaffirmed our support for Israel and its right to defend itself, in accordance with international law.”

He added, “We also welcomed the release of two hostages and called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages. We spoke about the humanitarian needs of Palestinians in Gaza, and the importance of adherence to international humanitarian law – including the protection of civilians. We committed to continued close diplomatic coordination – and we’ll keep working with partners in the region to make sure food, water, and emergency medical assistance are reaching civilians.”

The Israel Defense Forces have announced that they conducted another operation, targeting a group of fighters in southern Lebanon and successfully neutralizing an anti-tank missile launcher, Times of Israel reported.

The military believes this cell was in the midst of planning a missile launch in proximity to the border town of Shlomi.

The Israel Defense Forces has released the name of the soldier who lost his life in a Hamas attack on troops engaged in operations in Gaza. The soldier was identified as Cpl. Tamir Barak, aged 19, hailing from Nir Eliyahu. Cpl. Barak served within the Combat Engineering Corps, Times of Israel reported.

The UN agency dedicated to Palestinian refugees has officially confirmed the delivery of 14 trucks. Nevertheless, relief workers emphasize the urgent need for substantially more assistance to address the escalating humanitarian emergency in Gaza. Approximately half of the region’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced from their homes. The UN humanitarian agency reported that the convoy on Saturday represented a mere 4% of the typical daily imports before the conflict, and it falls significantly short of the requirements after 13 days of a complete siege.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military contends that the humanitarian situation is “beneath management,” despite the UN’s call for 100 trucks to be allowed in each day.

The IDF’s Yahalom Unit, a specialized combat engineering special forces team, remains committed to the challenging and meticulous task of recovering explosives and weaponry used by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 attack.

Hamas has also left behind numerous booby-traps, complicating the process of clearing Israeli territory from any remaining terrorists, explosives, and other hazards, as well as recovering the bodies of the victims. It has been reported that some of the deceased individuals were rigged with explosives,ANI reported.

As an illustration, the IDF has shared images of a child’s school bag found in an open field, which was booby-trapped with a remote-activated explosive device weighing 7 kg. Notably, Hamas deliberately chose to booby-trap a child’s backpack with the expectation that an unwitting civilian might pick it up.

On Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized that the United States was bracing for the Israel-Hamas conflict to intensify, possibly involving Iranian proxies. They underlined that the Biden administration is ready to take action if American personnel or military forces became targets of such hostilities, AP reported.

Blinken stated, “We don’t search this; it isn’t our goal. We are averse to escalation. We are dedicated to making sure the security of our forces and personnel. But if the necessity arises, we’re ready to reply.”

Austin echoed these sentiments, expressing concerns about a potential increase in attacks on US troops and citizens in the region. He asserted the US right to self-defense and a willingness to take appropriate action without hesitation.