Ground Invasion Delayed

Israel has reportedly agreed to delay its anticipated ground invasion of Gaza to allow the US time to deploy air-defense systems to protect US troops in the Middle East. US officials are concerned Israel's invasion could cause an uptick in militant groups targeting American forces in the region; at least 13 such attacks have occurred in Syria and Iraq in the past week. Israel hasn't disclosed the timeline of its ground invasion but said it would delay its plans until at least later this week. The delay also gives Israel and the US additional time to negotiate the release of hostages held by Hamas and for humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians in Gaza. Hamas has so far released four hostages since capturing 222 people from Israel during its Oct. 7 attack. More than 6,500 people have died and 17,400 injured in Gaza, while more than 1,400 have died and more than 5,400 injured in Israel. See updates on the war here.