Israeli Government Calls for International Support to Secure Release of Hostages and Provide Aid to Those Affected by Gaza Conflict

TEL AVIV — Fighting has been ongoing in northern Gaza since the Islamist group Hamas crossed the border into Israel and, according to Israeli officials, killed 1,400 people and seized around 240 hostages in the worst attack in the country’s history.

Thomas Hand, an Irish father living in Israel, was told by IDF soldiers that his 8-year-old daughter, Emily, had been taken to Gaza as a hostage, along with her friend and her friend’s mother. The Red Cross has been unable to provide Hand with any proof of life for his daughter, but he remains hopeful that she is alive.

The Israeli government has been working to secure the release of the hostages and to provide aid to those affected by the violence. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also expressed his support for the Israeli government and its efforts to protect the hostages and to provide assistance to those affected.

The Israeli government has called on the international community to support its efforts to secure the release of the hostages and to provide assistance to those affected by the violence. In response, the United Nations has pledged to provide humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict.

The situation in northern Gaza remains tense, with both sides continuing to exchange fire. The Israeli government has vowed to continue to work to secure the release of the hostages and to provide aid to those affected by the violence.