Israel-Hamas Conflict Escalates, Deepening Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis

Israel has canceled a planned trip to Qatar by the head of its foreign intelligence service to restart talks on a possible second hostage release deal, as Hamas remains unresponsive to overtures. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan will have "extremely serious conversations" with Israeli officials to press for a more "surgical" campaign against Hamas. A US intelligence assessment reveals that nearly half of the air-to-ground munitions used by Israel in Gaza have been unguided "dumb bombs," raising concerns about civilian casualties. Hospitals in Gaza report a high number of civilian casualties, while Israel continues its military operations in the Shejaiya neighborhood. The White House struggles to reconcile President Biden's comments about "indiscriminate bombing" in Gaza with its insistence that Israel's "intent" is to limit civilian casualties.