Israel steps up offensive against Hamas, forms emergency war cabinet

The war between Israeli forces and Hamas militants is escalating, with increased attacks from both sides. Israel has established an emergency war cabinet in response, and continues to bomb the Gaza Strip.

This is a retaliation for a weekend attack by Palestinian Hamas militants who crossed the border, resulting in the death of 1,200 people in Israel. Israel has imposed a total siege on Gaza, halting the supply of food and fuel to the 2.3 million population.

On Wednesday, Hamas media reported a power outage due to the shutdown of the only power station. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that over 1,100 people have died and 535 residential buildings have been destroyed, rendering approximately 250,000 people homeless, according to Reuters.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Israel to express Washington's continued support, push for the release of captives, including Americans, and prevent the conflict from escalating further.

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