IDF says it targeted mid-level Hamas commanders, is prepared to widen offensive beyond airstrikes; death toll reportedly over 400; White House backs attacks, says it was consulted

Hamas is believed to still have 24 living hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that triggered the war, including Israeli-American Edan Alexander. It is also holding the bodies of 34 others who were either killed in the initial attack or in captivity, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in the 2014 war.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an advocacy group representing the families of captives in Gaza, accused the Israeli government of prioritizing military action over hostage negotiations. “The return to fighting before securing the release of the remaining 59 hostages is a devastating choice,” the group said.