IDF Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said in a video livestream Friday that civilians were being asked to leave for their own safety. Also Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Israel, where he pledged that the U.S. “will always be there by your side,” as airstrikes in Gaza continued and deaths increased. The number of dead in Israel from Hamas terror attacks on the country is more than 1,300 people. Twenty-seven Americans have been killed, officials in the U.S. said. In Gaza, 1,537 people have been killed, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Crucial supplies in Gaza are running out. Israel has said its “complete siege” will not be lifted until Hamas releases the 100 to 150 people estimated to have been taken hostage. The World Health Organization on Thursday warned that the health system in Gaza is at a breaking point.
