The situation in Gaza reaches a critical point... as Israel urges civilians in Rafah to evacuate... and 1.4 million Palestinian refugees say they say they have nowhere else left to go.
world leaders call on Israel to stop any planned offensive in Rafah, with neighboring Egypt calling it an escalatory action, and Jordan calling it a massacre in the making.
In the US. University students continue their protests in support of the Palestinian people causing some schools to cancel graduation.
All this... with Presidential elections just 6 months away.
NOW... on The Inside Story, Gaza War, Widening Crisis.
Welcome to The Inside Story, I’m VOA White House correspondent, Anita Powell.
The search for an elusive ceasefire continues in Gaza.
There are signs of progress in ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel.
But even as both sides look for solutions, Israel continues its military march into Gaza... and the White House walks a political tight rope urging Israeli restraint while voicing unequivocal support for the Jewish State.
VOA’s Patsy Widakuswara reports.
Palestinians mourn over loved ones killed in Israeli airstrikes on Rafah Tuesday while thousands continue to flee following a limited Israeli ground operation overnight in the eastern part of Gaza's most southern city.
This operation will continue until we eliminate Hamas in the Rafah area and in the entire (Gaza) Strip’s area, or until the return of the first hostage.
Israel’s operation in Rafah is intended to pressure Hamas. The militant group agreed to a cease-fire proposal on Monday. But Israel said the plan did not meet its demands to eliminate Hamas from post-war Gaza.
Because Israel's war objective was to make sure that Hamas doesn't control anything, any longer, anymore, the meaning is that Israel is going to basically to lose the war in that sense.
As Palestinians seek safety, negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue in Cairo. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby on Tuesday expressed optimism.
A close assessment of the two sides’ positions suggests that they should be able to close the remaining gaps, and we're going to do everything we can to support that process and achieve that outcome.
Not many analysts share that optimism. Beyond swapping hostages for peace, both Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar are looking toward their own political survival, said former U.S. negotiator for the Middle East Aaron David Miller.
In a conflict, where two combatants believe that the stakes are existential, that vital national interest or in the case of [Yahya] Sinwar, his personal survival is at stake, the influence of external parties is limited.
The stakes are also high for President Joe Biden, whose electoral success in November is in part tied to reaching a cease-fire.
My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad. Even when we disagree.”
Hamas has warned Israel there will be no cease-fire if military action continues in Rafah.
Patsy Widakuswara, VOA News, Washington.
While ceasefire talks continue so does the Israeli offensive in Gaza and the mounting human toll. According to the Gaza Health Ministry the offensive has resulted in more than 33,000 Palestinian deaths.
What many people see as Israel’s indiscriminate use of force in Gaza has been the catalyst for ongoing pro Palestine student protests across the nation.
But US officials say there is also a worrying rise anti-Semitic incidents across the country.
Natasha Mozgovaya reports.
This ancient hatred of Jews didn't begin with the Holocaust — didn't end with the Holocaust either.
At the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's annual remembrance ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, President Joe Biden had a message for American Jews and the state of Israel.
Let me reassure you, as your president, you're not alone. You belong. You always have and you always will. My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad, even when we disagree.
The Antisemitism Worldwide Report for 2023 published Sunday by the Anti-Defamation League and Tel Aviv University revealed a 103% increase over the previous year in acts of violence, vandalism and harassment targeting American Jews.
Unprecedented levels of antisemitism engulfed Jewish communities in capitals all over the planet. It was the worst year for anti-Jewish hate in America that we've ever seen since we started doing this work 45 years ago.