The military of Israel says that there are 20 children who are under 18 years old, among a total of 200 people who have been taken and held against their will in Gaza. These kidnappings occurred after the attacks by Hamas on 7 October.
The Israel Defense Forces have announced that there are about 10 to 20 people over the age of 60 who are being held. Most of these people are still alive.
According to the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, Gaza has become a terrible place for civilians and there is not much time left to bring aid into the area.
The leader of the United Nations, Antonio Gutteres, went to the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. He said that he believes the first batch of help will reach Gaza within the next day or two.
Officials from Palestine report that over 4,000 individuals have died in Gaza since Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7. As a result of this attack, more than 1,400 people were killed.
On Thursday, a place of worship for Orthodox Christians in Gaza City was attacked. Church officials say that many people seeking shelter were there when it happened.
Israel says its fighter planes attacked a Hamas base that was used to launch rockets at Israel. They are currently examining the situation.