- liveUpdates
April 28, 2024, 6:06 p.m. ET
- Photos
- Graduating Into War
- Where Israel’s Offensive Stands
- Roots of the Conflict
- U.S.
- World
- Business
- Arts
- Lifestyle
- Opinion
- Audio
- Games
- Cooking
- Wirecutter
- The Athletic
You person a preview presumption of this nonfiction portion we are checking your access. When we person confirmed access, the afloat nonfiction contented volition load.
- liveUpdates
April 28, 2024, 6:06 p.m. ET
- Photos
- Graduating Into War
- Where Israel’s Offensive Stands
- Roots of the Conflict
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken was headed to Saudi Arabia successful hunt of an statement that would intermission the warring and escaped hostages held by Hamas.
By Isabel Kershner and Edward Wong
Isabel Kershner reported from Jerusalem, and Edward Wong is traveling with the U.S. caput of state.
April 28, 2024, 6:15 p.m. ET
As planetary diplomats converged successful the Middle East connected Sunday seeking a cease-fire successful the Gaza Strip, Israel wrestled with whether to spell guardant with a crushed penetration of Rafah, Hamas’s past bastion successful the enclave, according to Israeli officials and analysts.
Israeli officials person said repeatedly that they program to determination into Rafah, but implicit the weekend, they made wide they were unfastened to holding disconnected if it meant they could unafraid the merchandise of Israeli hostages taken erstwhile Hamas attacked Israel connected Oct. 7.
Benny Gantz, a subordinate of the Israeli warfare cabinet, said Sunday that portion “entering Rafah is important for the agelong conflict against Hamas,” freeing the remaining hostages, whose fig is estimated astatine astir 100, “is urgent and overmuch much important.”
As Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken headed for Saudi Arabia connected Sunday to conscionable with officials from a half-dozen Arab nations, an American authoritative said Mr. Blinken’s apical precedence was a cease-fire woody that would see the merchandise of each hostages.
“It would let for each those hostages to get out,” John Kirby, the U.S. nationalist information spokesman, said connected the ABC News programme “This Week.” “And to, of course, let for easier assistance entree successful places successful Gaza, peculiarly successful the north. So he’s going to beryllium moving astatine that very, precise hard.”
Israel has been nether aggravated planetary unit — including from the United States — not to invade Rafah, successful Gaza’s south, wherever much than a cardinal Palestinians person fled the warfare and are already surviving successful dire conditions.