Israel launches intense strikes on Gaza as US backs delaying invasion

Israel said Monday that it had struck hundreds of targets in the Gaza Strip and attacked Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, as President Joe Biden led an international diplomatic effort to try to ensure the conflict does not ensnare other nations in the region.

In a joint statement Sunday, Biden and the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany and Italy urged Israel to protect civilians as it defended itself, and called for the release of all hostages believed to be held in Gaza. More than 4,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, when Israel began retaliating for an attack by the militant group that killed 1,400 people.

U.S. officials said the Biden administration had advised Israel to delay a ground invasion of Gaza, a move that would allow more time for hostage negotiations and for more humanitarian aid to reach the enclave. There have been glimmers of hope on both fronts — two convoys of aid entered Gaza over the weekend, and Hamas released two American hostages Friday.

On Sunday, Biden also spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. The two leaders, according to a White House statement, affirmed that “there will now be continued flow” of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Hamas and other militant groups are believed to be holding more than 200 people captive, and, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have been blocking U.S. citizens and other foreign nationals from leaving Gaza.

It remains unclear when or if Israel will invade Gaza, but senior Israeli commanders increasingly have been making public references to preparations for a ground assault, which is crucial to its goal of eliminating Hamas — an objective the United States still supports. And for days, Israel has been ordering the residents of Gaza to move southward for their own safety, even as its airstrikes hit the southern part of Gaza.

If Israel enters Gaza, U.S. officials expect attacks on U.S. interests in the region from groups backed by Iran to intensify.

Here are some other developments:

— A second aid convoy crossed into Gaza from Egypt late Sunday, carrying water, food and medical equipment. The United Nations said the convoy comprised 14 trucks, and followed the 20 trucks that had entered Gaza on Saturday.

— The Israeli military said it had notified the families of 222 people who were kidnapped during Hamas’ attack and are believed to be held in Gaza, more than the 212 people it had confirmed a day earlier. The count of hostages has risen as the army has collected more information, including about the many foreign citizens who were kidnapped.

— Israel’s military said it had struck a Hezbollah position that was planning to fire antitank missiles on the town of Shlomi in Israel’s north. The military also said it had fired at a Hezbollah “military compound” and an observation post.

— The Israeli military reiterated its warning for civilians in Gaza to move to the southern part of the enclave as a humanitarian crisis spirals. But many people in the north said that doing so was not an option because of cost — and that it was no guarantee of safety.

— On Oct. 17, The New York Times published news of an explosion at a hospital in Gaza City, leading its coverage with claims by Hamas government officials that an Israeli airstrike was the cause and that hundreds of people were dead or injured. The early versions of the coverage and its headlines did not make clear that Hamas’ claims could not immediately be verified, leaving readers with an incorrect impression about what was known and how credible the account was.