Hostages remain: In Gaza, more than two months after the October 7 Hamas attack, the Israeli military estimates that there are still 112 hostages being held, with roughly 20 additional believed to be dead. Many of the women and children initially taken by Hamas have been freed during the temporary ceasefire that ended on December 1, so the remaining hostages are primarily Israeli men, with a few women, children, and foreign nationals in the mix.
War rages on in the Middle East where, this week, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is in Tel Aviv, meeting with Israeli officials. Biden administration high-ups have been putting a lot of pressure on Israel lately to bring the military campaign in Gaza to an end, pursuing more targeted takeouts of Hamas militants instead. "Sullivan did not specify a timetable," per The New York Times, "but four U.S. officials said Mr. Biden wants Israel to switch to more precise tactics in about three weeks."
