AMN /WEB DESK
The death toll in Gaza mounted up sharply yesterday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, after Israel struck hundreds of targets in the territory in one of the biggest barrages of airstrikes in recent days.
The Gaza health ministry said yesterday that Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 436 people “in the past hours,” bringing the death toll to more than 5,000 since Oct. 7, when Israel began launching airstrikes in retaliation for an attack by the Hamas militant group that killed 1,400 people.Hamas released two additional hostages yesterday, according to the group and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Their release, which Hamas said was for “humanitarian and health reasons,” came three days after the group set free an Israeli-American mother and daughter. More than 200 others are believed to still be held.U.S. officials said that the Biden administration had advised Israel to delay a ground invasion of Gaza, to allow more time for negotiations to release the more than 200 people being held hostage by Hamas and other groups in Gaza, and for more humanitarian aid to reach the territory