Israel is a cornerstone of GOP foreign policy and presidential hopefuls are seeking to stand out from the crowded field as they proclaim their views on Israel, Hamas and the Middle East.

President Biden called off meetings in Jordan after an explosion at a busy hospital killed hundreds of people. President Mahmoud Abbas declared days of mourning for the victims.

Residents of the Gaza Strip struggle to find safe passage as conditions deteriorate and no aid is allowed in. Also, a Hamas spokesman says the group has no plans to release some 200 hostages.

"Gaza is running dry" and families are turning to unsafe water, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said on Monday. The crisis comes as masses of people try to flee northern Gaza.

The Rafah border crossing is a modest, isolated outpost at the southern end of the Gaza Strip. Yet it could be a critical lifeline as Gazans face a growing humanitarian crisis.

The death toll is rising. At least 1,300 Israelis and more than 2,600 Palestinians in Gaza are dead as the war continues into a second week.

Israeli forces are planning a widespread offensive, but didn't say when the assault would happen. The announcement came as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians scrambled to leave northern Gaza.

In a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, public opinion about Israel in its war with Hamas is supportive, though the role of the U.S. in the region isn't as clear as Biden faces sharp disapproval.

Known as "the guest" for his habit of staying in a different house each night to evade Israeli attacks, Mohammed Deif, leader of Hamas' military wing, remains an enigmatic and shadowy figure.

The evacuation order from Israel affecting 1 million people faced immediate objections, including from the U.N., which warned such an evacuation would have "devastating humanitarian consequences."

In the Israeli town of Sderot, less than a mile from the Gaza Strip, there are remnants and recollections of carnage from Hamas' ongoing attack.

The highly sophisticated, multibillion-dollar defense system has been under constant redevelopment since its inception in the early 2000s. Here's how it works.

The move follows the deadly attacks by Hamas on Israel and Republican criticism of the White House deal with Iran, where $6 billion was unfrozen in exchange for the release of 5 detained Americans.

The surprise attack on Israel has brought the militant group back into the spotlight. A Hamas official tells NPR the attack was meant in part to lead to the release of Palestinians in Israeli jails.

"This is propaganda 101. You flood the gap, especially in those early hours, with content that suggests a certain narrative," said one observer.