Hospitals in Israel are reaching breaking points after more than six months of treating civilians, former hostages, and wounded soldiers from the fighting in Gaza. One positive result of the stress and strain is how Israeli Jews and Arabs are working side by side to save lives.
After months of negotiations, it briefly appeared on Monday evening that Hamas might finally be willing to accept a hostage-release deal in exchange for a ceasefire. The announcement came at the last minute as Israel was preparing to finally launch a Rafah incursion.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a shot Sunday at what he believes are inaccurate media reports and blamed Hamas for holding up good-faith negotiations for the hostages held in Gaza by demanding that Israel agree to a permanent ceasefire rather than a truce.
Israel is commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day this year on May 6th against the backdrop of the October 7th massacre. Although the scale was smaller, it brought many back to the murder of Jews during the Holocaust and many Israelis felt the spirit was the same. Shortly before the current war began, CBN News visited the site of Poland's Treblinka death camp and the city of Lublin, where the Nazis ruled the country in the Second World War.
Israel’s military is poised to enter into Rafah, the last major stronghold of Hamas in Gaza, without a deal for the release of the hostages. But Hamas still wants to continue negotiations to end the war.
In addition to the heartbreaking toll in human lives and families torn apart, the ongoing war in Gaza is crippling Israel's once-thriving tourism industry. Many local businesses are struggling to weather this strained economy.
In response to the rising anti-Semitism and anti-Israel protests at U.S. campuses, Belong, a new Israeli relocation company, is offering free concierge services to assist 500 Jewish students from Columbia University and other affected institutions to pursue their studies at Israeli universities.
Israel and the U.S. say the ball is in Hamas' court as the world watches and waits for a response to Israel's ceasefire offer. Arab media reports suggest Hamas will refuse the hostage-release deal, though no official answer has been given.
Within just a few weeks, anti-Israel protests have expanded to occupy U.S. campuses coast to coast. Given the overall coordination, officials are questioning whether these demonstrations go beyond a spontaneous student movement to a more well-funded outside operation.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli leaders Wednesday. It's his seventh visit since the start of the war in Gaza, and this time he's on a mission to stop Israel's next military operation to put an end to the terror group Hamas.