Israel Delays Gaza Invasion, Aid Operations at Risk

Israel has agreed to delay its planned invasion of Gaza at the request of the United States, in order to allow for the deployment of missile defense systems to protect U.S. troops in the region. The U.S. is rushing to deploy air defense systems to multiple countries in the Middle East, as it believes its forces will be targeted by militant groups once Israel launches its ground invasion. Israel is also considering humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza and diplomatic negotiations to free hostages held by Hamas militants.