"Israel-Gaza Conflict Escalates Amid Blinken's Call for Ceasefire"

Israeli forces continue to advance deeper into Gaza, focusing on the northern half of the Strip, as the death toll in the Palestinian enclave surpasses 10,000, including over 4,100 children. The U.S. has called for humanitarian pauses in the fighting to increase aid flow and facilitate the release of hostages held by Hamas, but Israel has refused. As ground fighting intensifies, communication services gradually come back online in parts of Gaza, while hospitals and U.N. schools, once places of relative safety, are now overflowing with displaced Gazans and have not been spared from the fighting. U.N. Secretary General António Guterres appeals for a $1.2 billion fund for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The U.S. is working on expanding humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza, but the stumbling block is setting up an efficient screening system to satisfy Israeli demands.