JERUSALEM, Israel – Early morning in Jerusalem, two Palestinian terrorists opened fire at a bus stop, killing three Israelis and injuring six more in a terror attack at the entrance to the city. It is the first major attack in Israel since the October 7th Hamas massacre.
Police said two off-duty soldiers and an armed civilian killed the gunmen, which Israeli authorities identified as Hamas members. One cabinet minister said Israel is now at war on all fronts and pledged to pursue and destroy terrorists everywhere with God's help.
Despite the deadly terrorist attack, the cease-fire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip continues. Just minutes before the deadline, Hamas and Israel agreed to extend the cease-fire one more day to free eight more Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity.
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On Wednesday, Hamas released twelve more hostages, including one American, as the U.S. calls for more Americans to be released. The hostages had to walk through a gauntlet of cheering Gazans.
The release brings the number of civilian hostages freed from Gaza to 97 — 73 Israelis and 24 foreign nationals, mostly Thai agricultural workers. It's estimated that 159 hostages remain in Gaza.
More reports are coming out of the cruel treatment of the captives. A Thai foreign worker testified that Israeli hostages were beaten by Hamas with electric cables.
The IDF is also investigating a Hamas claim that Shiri Bibas and her two children, 10-month-old Kfir and 4-year-old Ariel, were killed after they were kidnapped on October 7th. The IDF blamed Hamas for "continuing to act in a cruel and inhuman manner."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel amid concerns that the U.S. is putting demands on Israel that may limit its military ability to destroy Hamas.
President Joe Biden called on Israel to be more precise and strategic in southern Gaza.
At the U.N., the Security Council led by China called for a comprehensive cease-fire and the implementation of a two-state solution. Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian protestors disrupted the annual Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center.
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