Israel Escalates Offensive in Gaza Strip, Orders Evacuation

Israeli ground forces are engaging Hamas fighters across the Gaza Strip, indicating a ground offensive in the refugee-crowded south has begun. Israeli airstrikes have killed and wounded dozens of Palestinians, while residents fear a new ground assault is building. In the Red Sea, three commercial ships were attacked by Yemen's Iran-allied Houthi movement, and a US destroyer shot down three drones. The Houthi movement claimed to have attacked two Israeli ships, but the Israeli military denied any connection. The renewed violence comes despite calls from the US for Israel to limit harm to Palestinian civilians.