Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. stands squarely by Israel and will ensure it “has what it needs to defend itself” after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war against Palestinian militants that launched a surprise attack on his country. Austin said in a statement he was “closely monitoring developments in Israel” and extended his condolences to families of the victims who lost …

At about 6 A.M. on Saturday, thousands of rockets were launched from Gaza on cities across central and southern Israel, reaching as far as Jerusalem, while Palestinian fighters infiltrated communities in the country’s south by land, sea, and air. According to reports by Israeli Newspaper Haaretz, “at least 250 Israelis were killed and over 1,600 were wounded throughout the day”. …