Israel-Hamas war updates and latest news on Gaza conflict

Civilians collect usable belongings amid wreckage of vehicles after the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was hit in Gaza City, Gaza on Oct. 18, 2023, in a strike that killed hundreds. 

-Ali Jadallah | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Hamas said that the U.S. was “blindly biased” toward Israel, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing a statement from the Palestinian militant group.

It comes shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said that Tuesday evening’s Gaza hospital explosion, which killed hundreds of people sheltering inside, appeared to have been caused “by the other team.”

“I am deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday,” Biden said while alongside Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.

“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you. But there’s a lot of people out there who are not sure, so we have to overcome a lot of things,” he added.

— Sam Meredith

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that he does not expect the Israel-Hamas conflict to develop into a “large-scale war” and described the deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital as a “terrible” catastrophe.

“I have the impression that no one wants this to continue, for the conflict to develop and for the situation to worsen further,” Putin said in quotess reported by Reuters. His comments came shortly after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

“In my opinion, the main players — some, by definition do not want to, some are afraid of something — but I have the impression that there are practically no players ready to develop the conflict and turn it into a large-scale war,” he added.

— Sam Meredith

A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that the country was “shocked by and strongly condemns” the explosion at the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in central Gaza City, which killed hundreds of people.

Beijing did not attribute blame for the blast and said that it mourned for the victims and extended sympathies to the injured.

“China calls for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities and every possible effort to protect civilians and avert an even worse humanitarian disaster,” a spokesperson said.

Beijing has repeatedly called for an end to the violence, but fallen short of formally taking a side throughout the conflict so far.

— Sam Meredith

Photos published by Getty Images on Wednesday depict buildings in Gaza City destroyed during Israeli raids, Palestinian emergency workers and local citizens searching for victims in the southern Gaza Strip, as well as a cook preparing food for displaced people in Khan Yunis, Gaza.

U.K. Foreign Minister James Cleverly urged people to “wait for the facts” over the Tuesday evening hospital explosion in the Gaza Strip, saying that “too many jumped to conclusions around the tragic loss of life.”

“Getting this wrong would put even more lives at risk. Wait for the facts, report them clearly and accurately. Cool heads must prevail,” Cleverly said on the X social media platform, formerly known as Twitter.

His comments come as officials in Gaza and Israel trade blame over a strike at the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in central Gaza City, which killed hundreds of people.

U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday upon meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv that he was “deeply saddened and outraged” by the blast, adding that it appeared as though Israel was not responsible.

— Sam Meredith

The death toll continues to tick higher amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

As of 5:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, more than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, with 3,500 injured, according to the government’s press office.

The Palestinian Health Ministry, meanwhile, reported over 3,300 people were killed in Gaza and approximately 12,500 were injured.

— Sam Meredith

U.S. President Joe Biden said he was “deeply saddened and outraged” by a deadly explosion at a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday evening, saying alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that it appeared as though Israel wasn’t responsible for the blast.

“I am deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday. And based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you. But there’s a lot of people out there who are not sure, so we have to overcome a lot of things,” Biden said on his first trip to Israel since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

“I’m very happy to be back in Israel with you. Thank you for having me and I’m looking forward to having a thorough discussion about where everybody goes from here,” he said while addressing Netanyahu.

Biden wrapped up his comments by saying he was proud to be in the country and praised the “truly stunning” courage, commitment and bravery of the people of Israel.

— Sam Meredith

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked U.S. President Joe Biden for his “unequivocal” support, saying it was “deeply, deeply moving” for him to visit the country during a time of war.

Biden arrived in Tel Aviv earlier on Wednesday, making his first visit to Israel since the start of the war. A spate of high-profile U.S. officials have carried out similar trips since the conflict erupted, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken conducting two visits to Tel Aviv over that timeframe.

“You described what Hamas did as sheer evil. It is exactly that,” Netanyahu said while sat next to Biden in Tel Aviv, reflecting on the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

“Mr. President, for the people of Israel, there is only thing one better than having a true friend like you standing with Israel and that is having you standing in Israel,” Netanyahu said. “Thank you for standing with Israel, today, tomorrow and always.”

— Sam Meredith

A group of U.S. lawmakers including Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote a letter asking the Department of the Treasury how it plans to deal with cryptocurrency being used to finance terrorism.

It comes after the Wall Street Journal last week reported that three militant groups — Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and their Lebanese ally Hezbollah — raised money through cryptocurrency donations.

Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel this month sparking a conflict that has cost thousands of lives.

“Congress and this Administration must take strong action to thoroughly address crypto illicit finance risks before it can be used to finance another tragedy,” the lawmakers said in the letter dated Oct. 17.

“As Congress considers legislative proposals designed to mitigate crypto money laundering and illicit finance risks, we urge you to swiftly and categorically act to meaningfully curtail illicit crypto activity and protect our national security and that of our allies.”

The letter is addressed to Brian Nelson, under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the Treasury, and Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser.

The lawmakers asked the Treasury Department to “address the serious national security threats posed by the use of cryptocurrency to finance terrorism” no later than Oct. 31 and listed a set of questions that require an answer.

— Arjun Kharpal

Pope Francis on Wednesday lamented the “desperate” situation in Gaza, as he urged his weekly audience to take the side “of peace” in the Israel-Hamas war.

“War does not solve any problem, it only sows death and destruction, increases hatred, multiplies revenge. War erases the future,” Francis said in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican, according to Reuters.

“I urge believers to take only one side in this conflict, that of peace, but not with words but with prayer and total dedication,” he added.

The pope did not comment on the deadly Gaza hospital strike, with Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel trading blame for the explosion.

— Sam Meredith

U.S. President Joe Biden touched down in Tel Aviv as he commences a visit to Israel meant to show solidarity with the country after it suffered its largest-ever terrorist attack, carried out by Palestinian militant group Hamas, on Oct. 7.

Biden wrote on X on Tuesday: “On Wednesday, I’ll travel to Israel to stand in solidarity in the face of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack.”

In the post, he added that he would also visit Jordan and meet with Arab leaders to discuss humanitarian aid and next steps for Palestinians. But the Arab leaders Biden was scheduled to have a trilateral meeting with — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas — canceled the meeting after a blast at a Gaza hospital Tuesday night killed more than 500 people.

Hamas and other Arab leaders blamed Israel for the strike, while Israel says it was caused by a failed rocket fired by Hamas affiliates inside Gaza.

The White House has so far fully supported what it says is “Israel’s right to defend itself,” and Biden has requested that Congress approve more military funding for Israel.

Israel responded to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack with a ferocious bombing campaign over the Gaza Strip, the Israeli-blockaded territory which Hamas governs. It has been criticized by international aid organizations for its tactics which they say overwhelmingly harm civilians.

More than 1,300 Israelis have died in both the Hamas attack and ensuing conflict, while Israel’s bombings and siege over Gaza have killed more than 3,000 Palestinians.

— Natasha Turak

Hamas and Israel are blaming each other for the deadly blast on a Gaza hospital Tuesday night that killed hundreds of people. The World Health Organization called the strike on a hospital in Gaza “unprecedented in scale.”

Horrific scenes of the wounded ignited street protests in capitals across the region as Arab protesters and leaders assigned the blame squarely on Israel’s Defense Forces.

Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour said Israeli forces caused the “massacre” and called for an immediate ceasefire, while the U.N. Ambassador for Israel Gilad Erdan assigned responsibility to the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

— Natasha Turak

President Joe Biden is planning to submit a request for $100 billion in supplemental funding to Congress in the coming days that would include money for Israel, Taiwan, Ukraine and U.S. border security, two people familiar with the discussions told NBC News.

One source said the details of the package have not been finalized and could still change. The president is expected to send his request to lawmakers by the end of this week after he returns from his Middle East trip.

— NBC News

The U.S. State Department advised Americans against traveling to Lebanon, citing an unpredictable security situation due to kidnappings, unrest in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war and “rocket, missile, and artillery exchanges” between Israel and Hezbollah.

The department raised its travel advisory for Lebanon to level 4, the highest on its rating scale, and warned that the embassy in Beirut has limited capacity to support U.S. citizens there.

State currently has a level 4 travel advisory for Gaza, citing terrorism, civil unrest and armed conflict. It has a level 3 advisory for Israel and the West Bank, recommending Americans reconsider traveling due to terrorism and civil unrest.

— Christine Wang

The Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 17 journalists have been killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Of the known deaths, the CPJ said 13 were Palestinian, three were Israeli and one was Lebanese.

It said eight journalists have been injured and three have been reported missing or detained.

The nonprofit said it continues to investigate “unconfirmed reports of other journalists being killed, missing, detained, hurt or threatened, and of damage to media offices and journalists’ homes.”

“CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians doing important work during times of crisis and must not be targeted by warring parties,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heartbreaking conflict. All parties must take steps to ensure their safety.”

— Christine Wang