Israel Forms Emergency Govt Amid War With Hamas

Israel persisted with its fierce aerial bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip for the fifth consecutive day, following the audacious attack by the militants, as the death toll in the conflict has now surged into the thousands. Concurrently, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formed an emergency government, joining forces with opposition leader Benny Gantz, a centrist former defense minister, to address the crisis, temporarily setting aside their political differences. The development comes on the heels of a devastating report from Israeli forces in battle-ravaged southern towns, indicating that around 1,200 people, the majority of whom are civilians, have fallen victim to the Islamist militants' onslaught. This marks one of the most devastating attacks in Israel's 75-year history. On the Palestinian side, in Gaza, reports from local officials indicate that over 1,000 people have lost their lives due to Israel's sustained campaign of air and artillery strikes, which have decimated entire city blocks and sent black smoke billowing into the sky. The international community has also felt the impact of this escalating crisis. The United Nations has reported that 11 of its staff members have tragically lost their lives in Gaza since the conflict's outbreak on Saturday, while the International Red Cross and Red Crescent societies have mourned the loss of five of their members. Additionally, in the occupied West Bank, at least four Palestinians were killed as armed Israeli settlers attacked a town south of Nablus, bringing the total death toll in the West Bank to 29, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Israel, in response to the audacious attack by Hamas, has amassed significant forces, tanks, and heavy armor around Gaza as part of its retaliatory operation. Prime Minister Netanyahu has described the ongoing conflict as "an attack whose savagery... we have not seen since the Holocaust," underscoring the grave nature of the situation as the region grapples with an escalating and deeply tragic crisis.