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Israel at War: A Scripps News special report

Scripps News reports from Israel, where an escalating war with Hamas has killed thousands and triggered a humanitarian crisis.
Israel at War: A Scripps News special report
Posted at 10:57 PM, Oct 12, 2023
and last updated 2023-10-16 13:27:53-04

Tonight, Scripps News presents the latest reporting on the ground from Israel, as war with Hamas rages on.

What do those caught amid the fighting think is coming next?

What should we expect as Israel prepares for a full offensive against Hamas targets on the ground in Gaza?

What do we know about the terrorist organization Hamas? 

And what commitments has the U.S. made to support its ally Israel in the conflict?

Scripps News shares scenes of humanitarian crisis, as streams of injured Palestinians begin to overwhelm Gaza's limited medical capacity.

SEE MORE: Hospitals in Gaza are about to buckle under new strain

New details about Hamas' attack came to light after first responders shared intelligence they found on the bodies of Hamas fighters. Planning documents and bodycam videos show a clear portrait of a terrorist group that is highly organized, heavily armed and had prior intelligence about the targets that they went after. 

During the attack, Hamas took some 150 hostages into Gaza, including a number of Americans. Now, efforts are underway to recover them safely.

A former FBI hostage negotiator told Scripps News that negotiators from the U.S. State Department and the FBI are working in Israel to secure the release of hostages. They are working with family members and reviewing video and social media posts to understand the goals of those who took hostages, in hopes of negotiating their safe return.

We speak with one family whose daughter was caught in Hamas' surprise attack on a music festival on Saturday, and who now believes she is held captive somewhere in Gaza.

SEE MORE: A Scripps News visual investigation dives deep into Hamas attack

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby spoke with Scripps News about U.S. efforts to recover Americans held in Gaza, and about the messages the U.S. is sending to the rest of the world as the war goes on.

"We are absolutely concerned about escalation here and widening the conflict," Kirby said. "And that is why the president has sent that very strong message. That's why he put that carrier strike group in the eastern Mediterranean — as a message to anyone, be they a nation-state or an organization — that we will take our national security interests very seriously. And we don't want to see this conflict widen."

But, Kirby said, "We have not seen any actor move towards greater involvement here or trying to deepen the conflict or open up a new front. We just haven't seen that."

Click here to watch the full special on Scripps News' YouTube channel.


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