Israel-Hamas War News Live Updates: First flight carrying 212 Indian nationals from Israel, lands at Delhi airport

The Israeli military says it is preparing for a possible ground operation in Gaza but that the nation's political leaders have not yet decided on one.Lt. Col. Richard Hecht told reporters Thursday that forces “are preparing for a ground maneuver if decided.” Israel has called up some 360,000 army reservists and has threatened an unprecedented response to Hamas' bloody, wide-ranging incursion over the weekend. It has been launching intense airstrikes on Gaza since the attack Saturday, as militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel.

Voicing distress over the alleged beheadings of children by Hamas terrorists, which President Joe Biden condemned at a White House press briefing on Wednesday (local time), US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday said the US was looking at "extreme acts of terrorism" that must be condemned in no uncertain terms, stressing that there was no justification for such acts of terror.

Fifteen Palestinians were killed and several were wounded in an Israeli air strike in Gaza, Hamas Aqsa radio said on Thursday.

Brazil, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, called a Friday meeting of the body to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, its foreign affairs ministry said Wednesday. Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira has interrupted an Asia trip to travel "to New York to participate in a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, called by Brazil... to address the situation in the Gaza Strip," the ministry said in a statement. Brazil previously called an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Sunday, the day after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel.Israeli forces say 1,200 people, most of them civilians, were killed in the onslaught -- the worst in the country's history.

A number of Harvard University students and organizations are scrambling to reverse their support for a letter that initially blamed Israel for the tragic events caused by Hamas terrorists. Some business leaders are also contemplating blacklisting these individuals from future job opportunities.

In an interview with an Arab news channel, senior Hamas official Ali Baraka revealed that only a few Hamas leaders knew about the organization's plan before the Israeli attack last Saturday. Baraka explained that Hamas had portrayed a 'rational' image to the world, emphasizing governance in Gaza, all while covertly planning the major attack that reignited the conflict in the region, as reported by the Daily Mail on Wednesday.

A prominent Indian diaspora organization stands with Israel, condemning Hamas for its recent attacks on innocent civilians as a "crime against humanity." The series of assaults by Hamas militants in Gaza, followed by Israeli responses, have resulted in over 2,300 casualties.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following the establishment of an emergency government and wartime cabinet, hinted at a significant ground assault on Gaza by vowing to annihilate Hamas.“Every Hamas terrorist is a dead man,” Netanyahu declared during a late-night briefing, accompanied by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Benny Gantz, the leader of Israel’s opposition. "We have gone on the offensive. We will all fight together for our home," Netanyahu added. After the deadliest attack on Israel in fifty years conducted by the Palestinian military group, both sides are preparing for a violent clash, with Israeli forces gathering near the Gaza border. The lives of numerous hostages captured by Hamas over the weekend now hang in the balance.

Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler and Iran's president spoke by phone about the war between Israel and Hamas, Saudi state media said early Thursday, their first call since a surprise rapprochement in March. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a call on Wednesday from the Iranian leader, Ebrahim Raisi, during which they discussed "the current military situation in Gaza and its environs", the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. Prince Mohammed told Raisi that Riyadh is "communicating with all international and regional parties to stop the ongoing escalation", SPA said. He also stressed "the kingdom's firm position towards supporting the Palestinian cause", it said.

In his latest show of support for Israel, US President Joe Biden on Wednesday addressed Jewish community leaders at a roundtable in the White House and called the attacks by Hamas a "campaign of pure cruelty". "I never really thought that I would see and have confirmed pictures of terrorists beheading children," Biden said in broader remarks about his administration's support for Israel amid its war with Hamas and efforts to free American hostages.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to Israel on Wednesday on a Middle East mission to prevent a wider war from erupting after an attack and hostage-taking by Palestinian Hamas militants and an Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip. In a show of solidarity with Washington's closest Middle East ally, Blinken was due to meet senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to discuss further boosting military support. "I'm going with a very simple and clear message ... that the United States has Israel's back," Blinken told reporters before boarding a plane bound for Israel.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday condemned the weekend attack by Hamas militants on Israel as the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust as the number of US citizens killed in the fighting ticked up to at least 22.

The US State Department said on Wednesday that it is exploring contract options to facilitate American citizens' travel from Israel to nearby countries following attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The United States is "clearly concerned" by rocket attacks by Lebanon's Hezbollah on northern Israel as tensions soar following the surprise assault by Palestinian militant group Hamas, the White House said Wednesday."We've been watching with concern some of the rocket attacks that come across the northern border of Israel from Lebanon, which obviously were coming from Hezbollah," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called for negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian forces and hoped the war, which has already killed thousands over the last five days, would not expand. "It is necessary to avoid the expansion of the conflict at all cost, because if it happens it will have an impact on the international situation," Putin said, adding that parties "need to return to a negotiation process that should be acceptable to all sides, including to the Palestinians."