United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres is warning that the Middle East is “on the verge of the abyss” as the Israel-Hamas war rages on. Two million Palestinian Gazans — half of them children — are attempting to flee their war-torn neighborhoods but have nowhere to go.
Leaders of Egypt and Jordan have said they will not absorb Gaza refugees into their countries. The Rafah Border Crossing from Gaza into Egypt is closed to Gazans seeking refuge from the war.
Guterres says Gaza is running out of water, electricity and other essential supplies. Gaza hospitals are on the brink of a breaking point, as Israel sieges the area. Trucks carrying badly needed supplies, like food and water, have been waiting in Rafah for days, hoping mediators can broker a ceasefire so they can enter Gaza and deliver aid.
Guterres is warning Hamas to release hostages “immediately without conditions” and for Israel to grant humanitarian aid to the citizens of Gaza.
Meanwhile, deadly attacks in the West Bank have surged, and there are concerns that territory could erupt into another war front.
Palestinian authorities say more than 50 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, as Israel seeks to crack down on potential attacks in the area following Hamas’ attacks last week.
Over the weekend of Oct. 14, Israeli soldiers raided the West Bank and took dozens of Hamas terror suspects into custody. Around 360 Hamas terrorists have been apprehended in the West Bank since the war started, according to an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson.
The threat to civilians has been a central concern since Hamas first launched attacks.
Reports indicate that killing civilians was Hamas’ goal from the start. The Wall Street Journal reported that documents found on dead Hamas militants after that attack show they were directed to kill as many Israelis as possible and take hostages to Gaza then wait for further instructions.
As Israeli forces prepare for a ground invasion of Gaza, American leaders are doing what they can to help bring American evacuees home. Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis greeted nearly 300 Americans who arrived on plane from Israel Sunday, Oct. 15 at Tampa’s International Airport.
DeSantis has been critical of the federal government’s efforts to get Americans home from the war-torn region.
DeSantis signed an executive order authorizing Florida’s Division of Emergency Management to deliver flights to Israel to help provide aid and get Floridians home after commercial airlines canceled flights out of Israel at the start of the war.
On Monday, Oct. 16, the U.S. government chartered a Norwegian cruise ship to help get Americans from the Port of Haifa to Cyprus, where they will have to find their own accommodations back to the states.
Americans waiting to board the cruise ship said they couldn’t wait to be back in America to feel safe again.