• Israel's ground assault continued Thursday with troops pushing toward Gaza City.

• International calls for a ceasefire are growing louder as civilian deaths mount and the humanitarian crisis grows. Israel has so far rejected such calls in its response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that left more than 1,400 people dead.

• More than 8,800 people — including thousands of children — have since been killed in retaliatory strikes across the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health.

• President Biden suggested a humanitarian “pause” on Wednesday, as limited evacuations into Egypt began via the Rafah border crossing.

• U.S. citizens were among the first foreign nationals and injured Palestinians allowed leave the besieged enclave, and 400 American nationals were approved to leave Gaza Thursday.