Live updates | Day 6 of the latest Israel-Palestinian war

The Israeli government is under intense public pressure to topple Hamas after its militants

stormed through a border fence

Saturday and killed

hundreds of Israelis in their homes

, on the streets and at an

outdoor music festival

.

In the Gaza Strip, meanwhile, residents are facing ever-growing uncertainty after the territory's only power plant ran out of fuel and shut down Wednesday. Without power, communication is limited and information is scarce.

Egypt has engaged in intensive talks with Israel and the United States to allow the delivery of aid and fuel through its Rafah crossing point, which remained closed on both sides Thursday. However, Egypt pushed back against proposals to establish corridors out of Gaza, saying an an exodus of Palestinians from the enclave would have grave consequences on the Palestinian cause.

The war

, which has claimed at least 2,600 lives on both sides, is expected to escalate.

Here's what's happening on

Day 6 of the latest Israel-Palestinian war

:

FAMILIES OF MISSING FRENCH-ISRAELI CITIZENS ASK MACRON FOR INFORMATION ABOUT EFFORTS TO FIND THEM

TEL AVIV — Struggling to speak as they sobbed or choked back tears, families of French-Israeli citizens missing since the Hamas attack began last weekend appealed Thursday for information about their whereabouts and for efforts to bring them back.

“We don’t know if she is dead, if she is in Gaza. We don’t know anything. We haven’t heard anything,’’ Doron Journo, whose 24-year-old daughter Karin Journo disappeared Saturday, said at a news conference in Tel Aviv.

Karin’s sister appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron, saying, ‘’I want my country back. I want my sister back.’’

Batsheva Yahalomi described being kidnapped by militants on motorbikes along with her baby and 12-year-old son Eitan. She and the baby escaped, but she hasn’t seen Eitan since.

Ido Nagar held his 6-month-old child as he pleaded for information about his wife, Celine Ben-David Nagar, 32, who had also been at the music festival. ‘’Bring my wife back to her daughter.’’

ISRAEL MILITARY SAYS IT HAS DROPPED 6,000 BOMBS ON GAZA SINCE START OF WAR

The Israeli military said Thursday it had dropped 6,000 bombs on Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. While Israel says it is striking Hamas targets, many civilians in the pounded strip have been killed. Hospitals and U.N. shelters have also been hit.

The airstrikes have also killed entire families in their homes. Gaza's Ministry of Health said Thursday that 22 entire families had been killed. An airstrike in the northern city of Jabalia Thursday killed 44 members of the same family, leaving just six survivors.

HAMAS OFFICIAL WARNS AGAINST GROUND INVASION, SAYS IT WOULD BE DISASTER FOR THE ISRAELI MILITARY

JERUSALEM — A high ranking Hamas official warned Thursday that any Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip will prove catastrophic for the Israeli army.

“For every action the enemy takes, there is a plan we have,” said Saleh Al-Arouri, the deputy head of the political bureau of Hamas.

Israeli defense officials have yet to order a ground invasion of the pummeled territory, but have been planning for the possibility of it. The military has called over 300,000 reservists into action in preparation.

PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT ABBAS CALLS FOR END OF VIOLENCE TOWARDS CIVILIANS ON GAZA STRIP

JERUSALEM — In a meeting with the King of Jordan Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gave tempered remarks calling for the end of aggression toward Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian state media reported, as Israeli airstrikes pummeled the besieged strip.

“We reject the practices of killing civilians or abusing them on both sides,” said Abbas, who is the head of Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank.

In 2007, Hamas violently seized Gaza from the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority.

HUNDREDS GATHER IN ROMANIA'S CAPITAL IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL

BUCHAREST, Romania — Several hundred people gathered for a rally in Romania’s capital on Thursday to pledge their support for Israel in what its embassy called the country’s “fight against terrorism.”

Held at a central Bucharest park, many attendees waved Israeli flags and some brandished signs that read: “We stand with Israel.”

Israel’s ambassador to Romania, Reuven Azar, told reporters there that “we are going to tackle this evil, because without tackling this evil, we are all in danger.”

“We are now in a very difficult moment in our history. We’ve been attacked by one of the most ferocious, barbaric, savage forces in the world that is killing innocent civilians, families, babies, children, taking hostages, (and) burning people alive," he said. “It’s a kind of savagery that we haven’t seen before.”

US DEFENSE SECRETARY SAYS ISRAEL CAN USE AMERICAN-PROVIDED MUNITIONS AS IT SEES FIT

BRUSSELS — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that the U.S. is placing no specific conditions on how Israel uses the American-provided munitions. Israel has a professional military and “we would hope and expect that they would do the right things,” he told reporters at the close of the NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels.

He was asked if the U.S. would put conditions on the weapon, specifically that they would not be used against civilians. Austin said he would leave it to the Israelis to define their operations.

Austin also said that the U.S. is working to provide Israel whatever it needs, even as America continues to support Ukraine. “The United States can walk and chew gum at the same time.”

AID CHIEF CALLS FOR ESTABLISHING DEMILITARIZED ZONES IN GAZA

Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland has called for establishing demilitarized zones in Gaza amid unrelenting bombardment by Israel following last weekend's unprecedented attack by Hamas.

Writing Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter, Egeland said urgent life-saving support is needed for civilians trapped in Gaza.

“The siege must be lifted,” he wrote. “Defined, safe, and demilitarised zones within Gaza itself must be established & respected by all parties.”

Egeland also called for the international community to facilitate a deal to release all civilians held by both sides, “with immediate release of children, mothers with infants, the wounded & sick.”

ISRAEL'S MILITARY CHIEF ADMITS FAILURE TO PROTECT CITIZENS AROUND THE GAZA STRIP

JERUSALEM — The chief of staff for Israel’s military, Herzi Halevi, admitted Thursday that the military had failed to protect civilians around the Gaza Strip from Hamas’s unprecedented attack on the country.

“The IDF is responsible for the security of the country and its citizens, and on Saturday morning in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip, we did not,” Halevi said. “We will learn, we will investigate, but now is the time for war.”

BLINKEN TO VISIT QATAR ON FRIDAY

TEL AVIV, Israel — After visiting Israel and Jordan, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel on Friday to Doha where he will have talks with senior Qatari officials.

Qatar has ties with Hamas and has in the past served as facilitator in discussions to calm tensions in and around Gaza.

GERMAN CHANCELLOR SCHOLZ MEETS WITH EMIR OF QATAR, DISCUSSES FATE OF HOSTAGES

BERLIN – The German government says Chancellor Olaf Scholz has discussed the fate of hostages taken by Hamas with the emir of Qatar.

The emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, was in Berlin on Thursday for a previously scheduled visit. Qatar has been a mediator in the past.

Scholz’s office said the German leader underlined Berlin’s condemnation of Hamas’ attack and Israel’s right to defend itself. It said he stressed that “Hamas has full responsibility for the well-being of the hostages” and called for them to be released “as quickly as possible.”

The statement said Scholz “recognized in this context Qatar’s humanitarian effort” and the two leaders agreed to remain in close contact on the issue.

The hostages include several German-Israeli dual citizens, but Germany hasn’t given a precise figure.

HEALTH FACILITIES DAMAGED AND 10 HEALTH CARE WORKERS KILLED IN GAZA

JERUSALEM — Fourteen health facilities have been damaged and 10 health care workers killed in the Gaza Strip by Israeli airstrikes since the Israel-Hamas war broke out, Palestinian health officials said Thursday.

OFFICIALS SAYS MORE THAN 1,400 PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE GAZA STRIP

JERUSALEM — At least 1,417 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and over 6,200 have been injured since the Israel-Hamas war began, Palestinian health officials said Thursday.

Of the dead, nearly 450 are children and 250 are women.

The war has claimed at least 2,600 lives on both sides since Hamas launched its attack on Israel last Saturday.

BLINKEN MEETS WITH ISRAELI PRESIDENT ISAAC HERZOG

TEL AVIV, Israel — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Blinken offered a statement with Herzog that touched on the same themes as his earlier statement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“There really are two paths before countries in this region and in many ways, countries in this world. But here in the Middle East, there’s the path of integration, cooperation, normalization and equal measures of justice, opportunity, dignity for all peoples, including the Palestinians,” Blinken said.

He added: “Or there’s the path that Hamas has shown to the world these last few days — terror, destruction, nihilism, a path that leads to nowhere for anyone except to the darkest places in our souls.”

ISRAELI MILITARY SAYS BODIES OF 222 SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED

JERUSALEM — Every Israeli soldier killed by Hamas militants so far in the latest Israel-Palestinian war has been identified, the Israeli military confirmed Thursday.

A total of 222 Israeli soldiers have died and their families have all been notified, a spokesperson for the military said.

IRAQI PRIME MINISTER SAYS GOVERNMENT IS WORKING WITH EGYPT TO SEND AID TO GAZA

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement that he has ordered the dispatch of humanitarian aid to the Gaza enclave, currently under siege by Israeli forces.

He said coordination with Egyptian authorities is underway to ensure the safe and prompt delivery of the aid, including medical supplies, to Gaza.

FRENCH DEATH TOLL IN LATEST GAZA WAR RISES TO 12

PARIS — The death toll among French citizens in the Hamas militant attacks in Israel has risen to 12, with 16 others missing, France's Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

An evacuation flight bringing French citizens to Paris is expected later Thursday and others are planned in the coming days, officials said.

INDIA TO CHARTER INDIAN NATIONALS OUT OF TEL AVIV ON THURSDAY

NEW DELHI — India’s first chartered flight from Tel Aviv will leave on Thursday night and bring about 230 Indian nationals back home, an Indian official said.

“We will have more flights depending on the demand" from the Indians wanting to return home from Israel, Arindam Bagchi, India's External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, said on Thursday.

There are about 18,000 Indian citizens living in Israel, a small percentage of them students, he said.

There were about a dozen Indian nationals living in the West Bank and three or four in Gaza.

While New Delhi has not heard of any Indian casualties in the Hamas attack so far, he said the Indian government is in touch with an Indian citizen who was injured during the missile attack on Ashkelon, a coastal city in the southern part of Israel.

Sheeja Anand, a medical caregiver, is in a hospital and improving, Bagchi said.

PALESTINIANS SAY ISRAELI PLANES DROPPED FLYERS WARNING THEM TO EVACUATE

JERUSALEM — Palestinian residents of the city of Beit Lahiya in the northern region of the Gaza Strip said Thursday that Israeli planes dropped flyers warning them to evacuate their homes and to head to “known shelters.”

“Anyone who is near Hamas terrorists will put their lives in danger,” the flyers said. “Adhering to IDF instructions will prevent you from being exposed to danger.”

The area had already been heavily struck by the time the flyers were dropped. Shelters in the Gaza Strip are not safe from airstrikes — the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees has seen 10 of its shelters struck since the start of the operation.

Palestinians living the pummeled Strip have said that the military often has not alerted them before striking homes, or will alert them but not with enough time to evacuate before their homes are struck. Israeli defense officials have said that they attempt to provide warning before strikes.

TURKEY CONFIRMS 1 TURKISH CITIZEN KILLED IN LATEST GAZA WAR

ANKARA — Turkish officials have confirmed that at least one Turkish citizen has been killed in the Israel-Hamas war. The Turkish Jewish Community identified the victim on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, as 52-year-old Avraam Avi Zakuto who emigrated to Israel in 1972.

Earlier, the Israeli Embassy in Turkey said another Turkish citizen is reported missing.